Rogue Hero
by GlannaSol
Summary: A new girl has come to town, with a troubled past and unbelievable powers. But when this past begins to catch up with her, she'll need help from the Titans to overcome old enemies, forge unexpected friendships, and find the strength to create her own destiny. (If you're looking for a sappy love story, don't come here. There is romance, but it won't show till the end.)
1. Chapter 1

Robin was pacing when the rest of the team walked in. "What is wrong? I do not hear the alarm." Starfire asked. "We've been asked to do a special assignment by the chief of police." Robin grabbed the remote and clicked it to show a huge graph on the TV screen. "Grocery stores have been reporting a rise in shoplifting over the past couple of months. So far all they seem to be targeting are grocery stores and malls." "Dude, don't we usually deal with the REAL bad guys?" Beast Boy whined. "I mean, can't the cops handle this?" "Obviously they can't. That's why they asked us." He clicked the remote again, this time 6 pictures of the same woman appeared on the screen. She looked to be in her early 30's with short brown hair and blue eyes. "This woman, every store that reports stuff missing also says that this woman was there. Cops have been trying to catch her, but so far no luck." "So let me guess, we're gonna steak-out at her next target, and catch her in the act, is that right?" Cyborg yawned. Robin nodded and clicked the remote again. A map of the city appeared. "Basically, yes. The last few places she's been spotted were in the downtown area, and since she's already hit up all of the malls, we assume her next target is gonna be this store here." The map zoomed in on a small store, that looked no bigger than a gas station. "OK, here's the plan. Cyborg and I are gonna hide-out inside, while everyone else waits outside." Cyborg's ears piped up at the sound of his name. "If you guys see her come in, use the mic to tell us. We'll corner her inside while you guys block off the exits, that way if something happens she can't escape." "WOO! Alright! Now things are starting to sound interesting!" Cyborg cheered while everyone else nodded in agreement with the plan. "Alright, everyone get ready. We leave in 5 minutes."

Everyone met up in the garage. Robin wore normal civilian clothes and a hat to cover his mask, while Cyborg was completely covered in a black-hooded trench coat. They all piled in the T-car except Robin, who preferred his bike. They parked about 1/4 of a mile away from the store and walked the rest of the way. They all got into position, checked their mics, and waited...and waited...and waited. Finally, after 2 hours of wandering around the store, something happened. "Raven to Robin. Someone you might want to check out just walked in. Jeans and a hooded jacket." "I'm on it." Robin noticed them immediately, and followed them towards the back of the store. "Cyborg, she's coming your way. Aisle 7." "On it." Robin stayed at the front of the aisle with his back towards the hooded person. "She's picking up a box of Mac-and Cheese. Robin, I-" "Titans, get ready to move." He commanded. "Hey, Robin, wa-" "NOW!" Robin threw off his hat and ran down the aisle. He tackled the person, and stood up over them. "Don't move." He warned as he pulled out hand cuffs. "Robin wait!" Cyborg yelled across the aisle. He froze as Cy walked over and turned the person over. The hood fell off to reveal a frightened boy, who was no older than maybe 13. "I tried to tell you, he put the box back down. I don't think this is our girl." Robin sighed and helped the scared kid up. The rest of the group walked in as he was apologizing to the poor kid. "Great, now our cover is blown." Raven glowered "It's alright, she probably isn't even here yet. We'll just pretend to leave and set up again." They nodded, and all turned towards the entrance, except Robin. He noticed that the kid was missing. He looked around and noticed him trying to sneak towards the back of the store. Robin walked up to him while the others headed outside. The boy glanced around for a minute before finally walking into the back room. Robin followed him inside and watched as he started talking to a box. "You're right, they've got this place covered too." "Thank you." the box replied. Robin knew that this time his gut was right. "Freeze!" He yelled. The boy looked up while someone else took off from behind the box.

"Robin to Ti-" he reached for his mic only to realize that it wasn't there. It had gotten caught on his hat when he threw it off. "Guess I'm on my own." He smiled to himself, and started to chase the woman. She led him outside and across the street into several back alleys until she finally hit a dead end. "You lost." Robin pulled out his handcuffs again, but the woman smiled at him. "You haven't caught me yet." She turned and jumped on a trash can and over the wall. Robin growled and followed after, but when he got to the other side, she was gone. "Aw da-" a noise interrupted him. He looked up to see the woman climbing the fire escape up the building. Robin jumped up and started chasing her again, but she reached the top before he did. By the time Robin made it to the roof, all he saw was the woman leaping off of the edge. He gasped for a moment, and rushed over, expecting to see a life-less form on the street below. Rather, he saw the woman on the next building over. She smiled and waved to him. "Hu..." He nodded to himself and took a few steps back to leap across the chasm below. The woman stood there staring at him for a moment. "You know, you're a lot better than the cops are." "So are you, it's too bad you're a criminal." The woman glared at Robin and growled, "I am not a criminal." She turned around to run, but Robin leaped in front of her and blocked her path. "Then tell me, why would an innocent person run?" The woman pulled out a small metal rod. She pushed a button on the side of the rod and charged for Robin, who had just enough time to pull out his staff and block the now fully grown staff. "I am not a Criminal!" The look in her eyes frightened Robin for a moment. He jumped back away from her. "Criminals are selfish. They only do things for themselves." She jumped back and ran in the opposite direction. Robin followed he to the next roof, where she jumped and slid down the angled wall. When she hit the ground, Robin leaped off the wall in front of her and kicked her hard in the chest before she had time to react. The blow sent her flying back into the wall, and she lost the grip on her staff. The woman had no weapon, and Robin had her cornered. She frowned, and lowered her head. "Ok...You caught me." "No he hasn't" Before Robin could turn to see who it was, he felt a cold metal being held against his neck.

The woman looked up at the new person, and her eyes widened. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay put?" "I'm saving you, what does it look like I'm doing?" Robin reached for his belt, but the knife dug deeper into his skin, telling him not to move. "Drop your weapon." The voice commanded. Reluctantly, he obeyed. "Let go of him Rebecca, he caught me. It's done now." "No it isn't." The person behind Robin kicked his staff away from him. "Look, he's defenseless. You can run, and I'll stay here to hold him back." The woman tried to stand up, but she fell back down clutching her stomach. "What did you do to her?" The knife dug deeper, causing a very small cut in the center of Robin's neck. "It looks like her ribs are broken from when I kicked her, and her ankle is twisted from sliding down that wall. Even if you helped her run, she wouldn't get far..." "Rebecca!" The woman yelled at the person before she could do anything...rash. "Put the knife down and help me up." They obeyed, and Robin was momentarily freed. He watched the girl, Rebecca, walk over and help the woman up. She couldn't have been any older than he is. They both looked very similar, except the girl had long hair and green eyes. "Rebecca, I want you to head back. I will give you a call as soon as i get a chance." Robin watched the girl shake her head vigorously. "Rebecca, you remember what I told you." The girl was quiet, until sirens appeared out of nowhere. In a few seconds, they were surrounded by cars. The woman stood on her own for a moment. "Don't go...please." the girl looked at her with eyes that would make anyone cry. "I'll be back in no time. I promise." she told the girl as the cops slapped some cuffs on her, an led her to the a car. Robin stepped forward towards the car. The woman looked at him and smiled. "Criminals steal for themselves. I stole for my daughter. Please look after her for me." Robin stared blankly at the woman, and watched them drive off. He then turned towards Rebecca, who was standing there motionless. "What was it that she told you?" Rebecca frowned, but took a deep breath. "She told me that no matter what happens, she'd never become a criminal. And if someone ever caught her, she'd gladly pay for what she's taken. She only took that stuff to protect me." "Robin!" he turned around to see Starfire flying towards them" Thank goodness I found you!" She ran up and gave him a big hug. "Thanks...Star." The others quickly joined them. "When you didn't reply on your mic, we thought you found the criminal, so-" "She is not a criminal..." Everyone looked at Rebecca, who didn't even lift her head to acknowledge the comment made. "Yea...anyway, we sent the cops to your locator's signal. Guess they got her already." "Yeah. They came her alright." Robin turned around and saw Rebecca walking off. "Hey, where are you going?" She didn't answer, or even turn around. She just kept walking. They watched her leave until no one could see her anymore. "Dude, who was that?" "Her name is Rebecca. And we just put her mom in prison."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Rebecca walked over to the city prison to visit her mother. Her trial was later that afternoon, where they would decide her sentence. She'd already confessed to the shoplifting. Rebecca arrived and went through the whole security process. They checked her bag, made her walk through a metal detector, all of the same old stuff. When she finally got to see her mom, she wasn't sure what to say. She sat in front of the window when her mom walked in wearing the classic orange jumpsuit. Her mom smiled and picked up the phone. Her smile faded when Rebecca didn't. "Whats wrong?" She mouthed through the glass. Rebecca shook her head, and picked up the receiver. "Are you ok? Did something happen?" "No, Mom I'm fine. I just really missed you last night." Her mom smiled, and put a hand against the glass. "I know hon. I missed you too. Have you eaten yet today?" "No, not yet I haven't looked anywhere. I just woke up and came straight here." Her mom frowned again. "You really need to eat Becca. You cant just stop because I'm in here." Rebecca sighed and looked away from the glass. "Have you run into that kid that chased me yet?" Beca shook her head. "No." "Hu, what a shame. He was kinda cute. If he were a bit older-" she looked up at her mother surprised. "Have you forgotten already? Hes the one who put you in here. If it hadn't been for him, then you'd be out here with me." "Did you forget what I told you already? I'm not a criminal. And I refuse to become one. The cops already knew who I was and what I was doing, they just couldn't catch me." Beca set the receiver down for a moment and buried her face in her hands. "Becca? Beca look at me." Her mom yelled into the phone, but she didn't budge. She slammed her fist on the window, which made her daughter jump . "Look at me." She yelled again, this time she glanced towards her mom. "I'll be out of here soon enough. I didn't take more than a couple hundred dollars in food, and if I explain why I did it, I'm sure the judge will lessen my sentence. Beca, don't do this to me." This got her daughters full attention. "Don't make me worry about you right now. I need to know that you're gonna be ok while I'm in here. I taught you everything you need to know now I need you to use it and stop worrying about me. You need to look after youself right now. Especially...Can you do that?" She turned away from her mom, still not sure what to say. "Beca, I'm not leaving without an answer." The guard walked up, and tried to hang up the phone. "Your time's up." But she shook him off and stared through the glass. Beca nodded silently. Her mom smiled and mouth thank you before hanging up and walking away with the guard.

Rebecca sat there for a moment before they told her to leave. She got her bag from the front desk, and walked out into the sunlight. "Hows your mom?" She looked up. Robin was sitting on the wall just next to the door. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened." She ignored him and started walking towards the street. When she turned, he blocked her path. "I didn't plan on turning her in, but my team" "Yea I heard them last night." She huffed and turned around to walk the other way. When she made it down the street, she turned again and almost ran into him. "Your mom, she really isn't a criminal." "Tell me something I don't know, like why you're following me." She went around him, and continued on her way. "Your mom told me to keep an eye on you when they took her away." She stopped and turned around. Robin was still standing there watching her. "Why?" "I don't know. Probably because its my fault you're alone." Beca turned away, and started walking again. "I'm fine on my own." She was relieved when she looked back and Robin hadn't moved. She decided to look around for some food. Her stomach growled in agreement. She made her way across the street, and eventually found a college campus. "Perfect." She smiled and walked around for a bit. She soon found a fraternity house that looked completely trashed. Off to the side was a trashcan that was over flowing with pizza boxes and empty cases of beer. "You're not seriously thinking about it are you?" Rebecca huffed and turned around. "You be amazed at what some people waste. For example," she picked up a pizza box and opened it up to reveal a whole large pepperoni pizza. "Its cold, but its whole, and better than starving." Robin winced as she grabbed a slice and tore off a big chunk with her teeth. Something didn't taste right, and she spat it out immediately. Upon closer inspection, she noticed some things that shouldn't be put on a pizza, like fur and dirt among other items she couldn't identify. "Well, that explains why its still whole." Robin laughed at her. She glared at him, and put the box back in the trash. "Look, let me at least get you some breakfast. If I know you're out here eating from a bunch of trashcans, I wont be able to eat for days." She looked at him and remembered something he mother used to say. Never refuse something if its free, unless you have a good reason not to trust it. Finally, she nodded and followed him to the front of the frat house. He jumped on his bike and pulled on his helmet. "Sorry, I don't have one for you." She hesitated, but shrugged and jumped on the bike. She put her hands on his shoulders and he revved the engine. "You're gonna want to hang on tighter than that." "What?" She asked too late, and he hit the gas and sped off

"Where are we going?" Rebecca yelled over the wind, but Robin couldn't hear her. It didn't matter though; soon she could see where they were going. Off to the right was a giant T shaped building sitting on an island in the middle of the bay. "That's the Titian's Tower over there." Robin yelled. "Showoffs." Beca muttered under her breath. Robin ignored her comment. "Could you move your hands off my shoulders? Your nails are digging into me." Beca loosened her grip and felt his back relax a little. She refused to move them to his waist. Soon they were pulling into the garage. Rebecca jumped off the bike before Robin even turned off the engine. He pulled off his helmet and motioned for her to follow him. "Welcome to the tower. I'll have to give you the tour later. It took me a while to find you and breakfast has already started." "What?" Robin walked towards a door, but it opened before he touched it. "Good morning new friend!" A girl in a purple outfit grabbed Rebecca's arm and dragged her inside.

"Please, sit and eat with us!" "Man, we were wonderin when Robin would find you. Here," the robot-man set down a stack of waffles in front of Becca, with a fork standing up in the middle. "Dig in girl!" Rebecca glanced at Robin, who was still standing in the doorway, and after shooting him a death-glare, she picked up the fork and started eating. About 45 seconds later, the stack of waffles disappeared. Everyone stared at her, half in awe and half in worry. "New friend, were you very hungry or do you possess 2 stomachs?" The girl asked. Rebecca's face flushed as she pushed the plate away from her. "I haven't eaten in a while, and when you're on the move as much as I am, you learn to eat fast." Everyone looked at her sadly, and went back to eating. "Well, if you want some more, there's-" "No thanks." Rebecca stood up and pushed in her chair. "I should probably be going." "Why? You've been here like 5 minutes." A green boy appeared behind Rebecca and blocked her from the door. "I have places to be." "Your mother's trial doesn't start till 1." Rebecca glared at Robin again, who quickly went back to eating his waffles. "Ok then you're staying here for a while. C'mon, I'll show you around." The green boy grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Well, where should we start?" "How about the exit? I really have to be going." "Aw, why?" "Listen kid." Rebecca grabbed his collar and held him up against the wall. "First of all, I'm not in a very good mood thanks to your leader. Secondly, I don't like repeating myself. If I tell you I have to leave then I have to leave. Don't bother asking me why, because its none of your damn business" Her grip on his collar tightened. Rebecca watched his ears folded back and his eyes widen in terror. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, slowly putting him down. "Just please show me how to get out of here. I really can't stay." He nodded silently, and pointed down the hall. "It'll take you to the front door." Rebecca nodded, and started walking away, but she turned around and stared at the poor green boy. "What's your name?" "Beast boy." "Beast Boy? I'm sorry; I've got a bit of a temper." "I kinda noticed." He smiled at her. She sighed. "Thanks for the waffles. Tell your leader, uh," "Robin." "Yea him, tell him I'm sorry too." Beast Boy nodded and watched her turn the corner.

Rebecca walked outside into the bright sun, and sat down next to the water. "Ok, so I got out, now how do I get off?" She looked out over the bay, and realized why they chose this spot to build the tower. The water reflected the sun in the sky and sparkled with the waves. "Beautiful." She smiled and looked around. She saw a bridge around the corner that led into the garage of the tower from the main land. She started to head towards in when she felt something behind her. "Why do you insist on following me?" "When have I insisted on following you?" She turned around and saw a girl wearing a blue cape and hood. "I come down here to meditate, not to follow people." The girl stood up from the ground and turned towards her. Rebecca could sense something different about her. Something that separated her from the others. "I thought you were leaving?" The girl asked. Rebecca nodded and turned back towards the bridge. She made it to the downtown part of the city after about an hour of walking. She came across an electronics store, and decided to walk in to look around a bit. Before she could, a scream from behind her made her jump. She turned around and saw a girl run behind a building just across the street, with someone following closely behind her. Before she knew what was going on, Rebecca was chasing them through the alleys until the girl hit a dead end. "End of the line hon." Rebecca hid behind the corner and listened for a moment. "Now gimmie back my wallet. I know you took it from me!" "I didn't steal your wallet! I don't have anything! I'm not some criminal! I swear I don't have it!" Those words rang clear through Rebecca's mind. I'm not some criminal. She didn't even think about what to do next. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a bandanna. She then dropped her bag, tied the bandanna around her face, pulled up her hood, and ran from the corner. The girl screamed again, and the guy turned around. Just in time to see Rebecca jump on him. She pinned him down and looked up at the girl. "Get out of here. I got him." The girl nodded and took off like a bat out of hell. The guy was struggling, and soon wriggled his arm free from Rebecca's grip. He used his free arm to push himself up off the ground, which caused Rebecca to lose her balance and fall off of him. She tried to get up and run, but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. She fell face first into the cement. "Ug, damnit." She swore, and rolled over to see the guy standing up. "You should've minded your own business. Now that thief got away. "She's not a criminal! She did it for me!" Rebecca yelled at him. He looked at her confused, and then leaned over her. "I don't know what the hell you're sayin, but since you let her go, I'll make you pay." He pulled out a gun and aimed right for her chest. Rebecca glared, and kicked his hand before he could fire it. He stepped back, holding his sore hand while looking around for his gun. Rebecca got up to her feel and spat out the blood from her mouth. She walked up to him and continued glaring. "Don't pull a gun on me." He stepped back again as a strong wind picked up. Rebecca reached out a hand and raised it above her head, at the same time the wind grew strong enough to lift the man. She threw her hand out and he flew against the wall, and fell unconscious. Rebecca took a deep breath and sighed. The wind died down slowly as she tried to calm down. She looked back at the guy, and went over to check his pulse. She sighed again. "At least he's alive." She pulled down her hood and bandanna, and went back around the corner. She looked at her watch and her stomach sank. "Oh god, the trial!" She looked around and thought for a moment. "Well, she's going to kill me already; I guess one more time won't be any worse." She took a deep breath and concentrated hard. A moment later...nothing happened. "Hu?" She tried again, this time trying harder, but once again, nothing. "Aw c'mon! The one time I actually WANT to use them." she sighed and picked up her bag, and started running towards the courthouse. Meanwhile, on the rooftop above, a caped figure was leaning over the ledge. Something beeped in his pocket, and he pulled out a round device and opened it. "Dude, where are you? The trial starts in less than 5 minutes!" "I'm on my way now." He closed it, and ran of in the same direction as Rebecca.


	3. Chapter 3

Rebecca ran as fast as she could to the courthouse, but still arrived 10 minutes late. She burst into the room, and everyone stopped talking and looked at her. Her moms face light up and dimmed when Rebecca wiped off the remaining blood from her chin. "Excuse me Ms, but this is a closed hearing." "Your honor," Her mom interrupted. "This is my daughter Rebecca." The judge looked up at her and motioned for her to sit down. Rebecca moved quickly towards the front, but stopped when she saw the Titans sitting in the middle. Beast Boy and the girl in purple waved at her, while the robot man and Robin simply smiled. Rebecca quickly went to a seat just behind her mother and sat down. "Now, Mrs. McKennit, you've already confessed to the police about your crimes, have you anything to say before your sentence is announced?" "Yes your honor." Her mom looked back at her and smiled. "While I was being pursued, someone tried calling me a criminal." Rebecca clenched her fist at the thought. "But I told him I wasn't, and I offer you the same reason I gave him." She looked back at her daughter, then back at the judge. "Criminals steal for themselves, I stole for my daughter. If you look, you'll notice I only took food, and the total is no more than a couple hundred dollars over the course of 3 years. I admit to what I did, and I accept the punishment whole heartedly, but please consider, had I not done that neither I nor my daughter Rebecca would be here before you today." The judge nodded. "Ms. McKennit, I understand your situation, but unfortunately what you did is considered a felony." "What?" Rebecca yelled and stood up. The judge ignored the remark and continued. "Federal law states that any amount stolen that is over $100 is a felony. I'm very sorry, but the punishment is 15 months in prison." Rebecca felt her heart sink. "This is the minimum I can give you. Meanwhile, I'm afraid your daughter will go to foster care, until a relative or someone else decides to take care of her." "Now way! You can't do this!" Rebecca yelled. Her mom didn't move, and the judge raised the gavel. "I'm very sorry, but that's the best I can so. Case dismissed." The judge hammered the gavel, and that was it. Her mom turned around and looked at Rebecca. "Good behavior and parole. Don't worry." "Your honor." Robin stood up before the judge could get down from her chair. "We would like to take Rebecca into our custody." She looked at them, and then back at the judge. "Titans? Are you prepared to take responsibility for whatever she does?" Robin glanced at the others for approval. No one objected, so he nodded. "Very well, she's under your care Titans." The mom looked at Robin and smiled, but Rebecca only glared. "Mom, what if I broke you out." Her mom looked down at her and gave her a look of death that only comes from a mother. "You will do no such thing. You've already gotten in enough trouble today. Don't risk it again." She hissed. Rebecca frowned and nodded. Her mom's face softened. "Be nice to them, they're doing use both a big favor." She leaned in and whispered in her ear, "If something happens, just leave. Leave without me, and Ill find you again ok?" Rebecca froze. She didn't want to imagine leaving alone. "But-"she tried to rebuttal again, but the look of death kept her quiet. The bailiff walked over gently grabbed her moms arm. "Its time to go." She nodded, and walked off with him. Rebecca sighed and tried to get her bearing back before she faced the Titans. They were standing in the doorway waiting for her when she walked over. "C'mon. It's time for us to go too." She nodded, and followed them out of the courthouse. Becca rode on Robins bike as they went back to the tower. No one said anything around her until they got back. "We don't have a room for you yet, so I'm afraid you'll have to sleep on the couch." Rebecca nodded and looked at the group. "You all know my name, what are yours?" "Friend, I am Starfire! Welcome to your new home!" The girl in purple gave her a back-breaking hug that lasted longer than it should've. "Uh...thanks Starfire." She looked over at the hooded girl. "Raven." Rebecca nodded and looked at the robot-man. "Name's Cyborg, master of tech, and king of videogames!" "What was that?" Beast Boy piped up. "Sounded like a challenge to me." He grinned as they went over to the couch and started playing. "Beast boy, and Robin" She looked back at Robin, glared, and walked over to watch Beast Boy and Cyborg play. "She really doesn't like you." Raven stood next to him. "Can't blame her. I'm the reason her moms in jail." He sighed. Raven looked at him for a moment, "It was us that called the cops. Were all to blame." "But I'm the one who found her mom." Raven sighed. "Very well, go ahead and beat yourself up for it. She's not doing a good job anyway." She turned around and walked out of the room. Robin smirked a bit, knowing that she was right. Cyborg cheered as best boy threw the controller. "My turn!" Robin yelled as he jumped over the couch and grabbed the controller from the floor. Rebecca had just taken Cyborgs controller, and tried to give it back, but the game had already started. "Wait, how do I-" "Just keep pushing forward on the stick and smash the red button if his car gets in front of you." Cyborg told her. She listened to his advice, and eventually shot Robins car off the screen. She cheered as Robin threw the controller. "Stupid game cheats, beginners luck" She heard him mumbling. Rebecca smiled and handed Cyborg her controller again. "Maybe next time." She gloated the rest of the day.

Rebecca always had the same routine while living at the Tower. She'd wake up at 6, go see her mom, come back, eat some breakfast, and go walking around town until about 8 when she finally came back. Finally, after defeating Beast Boy at his favorite game, he asked her. "Where do you go all day?" She shrugged and smiled at her victory. "No where really. I just walk around the city." He looked at her, and shrugged. "Ready for round 2?" Rebecca nodded, but jumped when red lights started flashing, and a loud annoying sound went off. Beast Boy smiled and laughed at her. "It's the alarm." Rebecca glared at him for laughing at her, but tried to get her pulse down. When everyone came into the living room, Robin typed something into the computer nearby. "It's Cinderblock. Someone let him out again." Cyborg sighed, "Man, I keep telling them to update his cell!" He stormed off towards the garage with Starfire, Beast Boy, and Raven closely flying behind him. Robin started to leave, but stopped and looked back at Rebecca. "You coming?" She looked at him confused. "You want me to help?" He nodded. "I saw what you did to that guy the day of your moms trial." Rebecca's face flushed. "You...saw me?" He nodded again. Rebecca glared at him, and turned around. "I can't help. Go on without me. And keep your damn mouth shut." Robin sighed and ran to the garage. Rebecca looked out the window and watched them fly/drive off. She turned on the TV, and saw a newscast of Cinderblock. He was holding a telephone pole and swinging it around as hard as he could. A couple minutes later, the Titans showed up. They all got out of the car or stopped flying and stood behind Robin. "Cinderblock, its time we put you away for good." Rebecca rolled her eyes at the cheesy line. "Titans, go!" He yelled, and everyone ran off and surrounded Cinderblock. He quickly swung the pole at them and hit Cyborg, but Raven managed to doge. She muttered something, and the pole turned black and flew away from Cinderblock. Beast Boy transformed into a giant green t-rex and rammed Cinderblock into a building. Cinderblock grabbed beast boy, and shoved him to the side. The t-rex rolled and almost crushed a bunch of on looking citizens, but Starfire flew over just in time to stop him. "Hey, this is pretty exciting." Rebecca smiled, and continued to watch. Robin jumped over him and threw some smoke bombs before hitting him with his staff. Cinderblock tried to clear the smoke, but got hit by Cyborgs cannon-arm. Raven took the poll that he had earlier and wrapped it around cinderblock. Robin took on last swung at him, and cinderblock fell. The crowd started cheering as the news lady ran up for a quick interview. "Titans, you saved us all again!" Robin smiled and blushed a bit. In the background, Rebecca noticed something no one else seemed to. Cinderblock was struggling to break free from the pole. He wasn't done yet. A minute later he finally broke free, and ran up and swung at the Titans from behind. Rebecca watched in horror as everyone went flying. Cyborg went through the wall, while everyone else hit it, hard. Robin tried to stand up, but cinderblock grabbed him and held him tightly in his grip. Starfire flew up and started throwing green balls of energy at him, but he just swiped at her, and she hit the wall again. Cinderblocks grip on Robin tightened, and Robin yelled out in pain. "No." Rebecca continued to watch as Raven stood up and started throwing things at him. Cinder block held onto robin with one hand, caught something with the other and threw it back. Raven dodged it, and continued throwing things as Cyborg finally got out of the building and started shooting him with his cannon. Cinderblock caught a second object from Raven, and threw it back. This time it hit Cyborg, whose cannon hit Raven as he fell back. They both fell out of battle as beast boy jumped back him. He turned into a woodpecker and flew over to the hand holding Robin. He tried pecking at Cinderblocks hand, but Cinderblock just smashed poor beast boy like a bug. All of the Titans were out cold, and soon Robin would be nothing but a splatter on the ground. "No!" Rebecca felt her anger rising. She continued watching as Robin yelled again. "Robin!" She screamed, and everything seemed to stop. A bright light flashed from her body, and the next thing she knew, she was standing right in front of Cinderblock. Her temper shot through the roof, as she raised her fist. Cinderblock slowly started floating, and dropped Robin when she opened her hand. Robin started falling, but Starfire caught him before he hit the ground. She set him down and let him catch his breath. He coughed and wheezed, and looked up at Rebecca. She threw her arm to one side, and Cinderblock slammed into a building. She threw it the other way, and he slammed into the other, then finally she punched the ground as hard as she could, and Cinderblock fell. The crater he left behind engulfed the entire street where they were fighting. Rebecca sighed. When the dust cleared, Cinderblock wasn't moving. Not dead, just not conscious. Rebecca looked around and felt the blood leave her face. She was surrounded by cameras and people, all of whom were staring at her in awe. Suddenly one ran up to her. "Hey girl? Whats your name?" Another ran up. "Are you the newest Titan?" Another "Where'd you get those powers?" "Are you human?" Rebecca stepped back from them, but the only shoved closer. Finally she turned around and ran as fast as she could. The cameras turned to Robin and Starfire and repeated their questions. "Don't say anything Star, lets just go home." Robin ordered. Starfire nodded, grabbed his arm and flew him over to the other Titans. Everyone was getting up except for Raven, who was still out cold. "Let's go, we don't need to stay." "Wait, what's up with Rebecca?" Beast Boy asked. "That's what were going to find out." Robin jumped on his bike and rode off.


	4. Chapter 4

Rebecca ran as fast as she could to the only place she could think of. She threw open the doors and ran past all of the security to the visitors desk. "I need to see my mom now." She told the guard sitting there. "Uh, Miss, visiting hours ended like 3 hours ago. You're going to have to come back-" "No! You're not listening to me. I need to see her now!" The guard stood up with one hand on his gun. "Miss, I told you visiting hours are-" They both jumped at a loud crash that sounded from the next room. Another guard ran out of the door and slammed it behind him. "It's the McKennit lady. She's yelling for her daughter." Both of them glanced at Rebecca, who ran for the door past both of them. She saw her mom holding one of the guards by the throat. "I know she's here, I want to see her!" "Mom!" She turned and let go of the guard. Rebecca ran over to her with arms wide open, but froze when she saw the look of death on her mother's face. "I saw the news." Rebecca froze. "I'm sorry." Her voice cracked. Her whole body was trembling as she looked up at her mother. Her mother's face turned into a smile. Rebecca smiled back, and ran to embrace her mom. "I'm proud of you for saving your friends." She whispered into Rebecca's ear. "But I told you what would happen if you used them." "I don't wanna leave. I can't do anything without you mom. You've always been there, I can't go out alone." Her mom held her tighter. "Yes you can. I taught you everything you need to know. And if you don't leave you know what'll happen." She stepped back and stared at her mother. Her vision was blurry from the tears in her eyes. Her mom kneeled, and put a hand on her cheek. "I'll find you again. I promise. I'll be safe in here and out before you know it. Just make sure you're ok." Rebecca nodded, and hugged her mom again. "Go on. The longer you stay, the worse it'll get." Rebecca froze for a moment, until her mom let her go. "Go on. Get going." Her voice grew louder as Rebecca stepped back. "Now!" She shouted, and Rebecca turned around and ran for the door. Her mom stayed there on the floor for about 15 minutes, before she finally stood up, and was escorted back to her cell.

"I'll get in, avoid everyone, and get out" She though to herself as she ran across the bridge to the tower. She walked towards the garage and sighed. Robin's bike was there next to the car. She could hear Beast Boy and Cyborg playing their videogame upstairs. "Booyah! Cyborg 6, BB zip!" "Dude, you so cheated!" "Friends, Let us not fight over the game of videos. Let us instead fill ourselves with the trash like food." Rebecca smiled knowing at least half of the Titans were in the same room. All she had to look out for was Raven and Robin. She quietly sneaked up the stairs into the elevator and pushed the button. "My stuff is in the living room. I have to find a way to get them out." She thought on the ride up there, and smiled. On the top floor, she knew she could sneak into Cyborg's room. His room had all of the high tech gear, it was sure to have some kind of phone. She could make a fake call of a robbery to the cops and knew they'd call the Titans out to take care of it. It took her a while to find the right room. She'd never really seen much of the tower except for the living room and the exits. She kept walking into a dark room with a ton of creepy statues and a large bookshelf. "Damnit...Raven's again." She cursed, and walked out again. This time, she rounded a corner she hadn't noticed before. Finally, she walked into the right room. As she expected, it was covered in high tech gears, computers, a bunch of circuit panels, and a ton of other stuff she couldn't recognize. After a bit of looking, she found something that looked like a phone. It was longer and thinner than normal, and only had 4 buttons. Wayne, Cops, Prison, and one that was smudged. She pushed the one labeled Cops, and waited. "911 emergency" Someone answered. "Bingo." She thought and smiled. "Yes, I need help. There's a Robbery at 35th street and Central at the Super Store. Someone who keeps yelling Mumbo Jumbo. Please, send someone right away." "Ok miss, were sending someone now, is he armed?" "What was that? I can't hear you. Oh my god!" She slammed the phone down and smiled. "Miss? Miss, are you still there?" Eventually she heard a click, and shortly after the alarm went off. She waited about 20 minutes before leaving Cyborg's room and walking into the living room. "Ah!" She jumped when a black figure appeared from the shadows. "You better not have touched anything in my room." Raven glared at her. Everyone else appeared from their hiding place one at a time. She looked around, and felt like she was surrounded by many angry bulls ready to charge. "Why'd you fake a robbery to the cops?" Beast Boy asked. "Where did you get those powers?" Starfire asked. "Why did you run off after the fight today?" Robin asked. "Why were you in my room?" Raven asked, still glaring. Rebecca sighed, and shouldered past them to the couch. "Because I needed this. She pulled out her bag from under the couch. "And I didn't want this interrogation to happen. I don't know, I can't tell you, and because I was looking for his room." She nodded towards Cyborg and walked back towards the door, but Robin and Raven blocked her. "You're not going anywhere until we get some answers." "Look, I can't give you any answers alright! I promised I'd keep all of this a secret. Now my cover's blown and I have to leave." "Leave? Why? Some of us have powers, it's no big deal." "Well, it is for me. She glared at Beast Boy, who bent his ears back like a sad little puppy. "Just tell us why you're leaving, and well let you go." "Because if I don't leave now, hes going to find me and he'll kill anyone close to me to get what he wants!" She tried to run past them, but was blocked again. "Who's going to find you?" "Niero! My moms ex boyfriend!" She tried again, but once again was blocked. "Why's he after-" "I thought you said if I told you, you'd let me leave?" She yelled at Robin. Robin glanced at his teammates, who all seemed to be thinking the same thing. "If you really have to leave, then go." He stepped aside. "But if someones after you, we can help." Rebecca's eyes lit up. "How?" She set her bag down on the ground. "We can track him down, and keep you safe here." She sighed, and picked up her bag. "It's not me I'm worried about it's my mom. He won't kill me." She walked into the elevator with the Titans following her. "He'll kill my mom. And you can't protect her when she's in prison." She pushed the button for the garage, and watched the door close on them. When she made it to the garage, she walked outside and didn't look back.

The next morning, Rebecca's mother was sitting in her cell staring at the floor. "I hope shes ok" This thought didn't want to leave her head. It'd been running across her mind since she last saw her daughter. "Hey, you got visitors." The guard grunted and opened her cell door. "Visitors? As in more than one?" He nodded as he cuffed her hands and feet and led her away. He took her to a new room she hadn't been in before, but she knew what it was. It was the "Visitor's room" where a whole family could see their loved one and hang out for a bit. It had tables, chairs, a TV, board games, and other things for a group of people to do. He led her to a table where the Titans were waiting for her. "You got an hour." He grunted, and walked away to the desk in the corner. "Why did she leave?" Robin asked. She laughed. "Gee, it's nice to see you too. Oh, I've been fine, how's the crime fighting going?" She smiled and leaned back in her chair. "This isn't a laughing matter." She sat up again, and looked at him sternly. "I know exactly how serious this is kid. You still have no idea what's going on do you?" "She told us about Niero." She raised an eyebrow at the green boy. "Hm...Guess you know more than I expected. So why are you here?" "Why is he after her?" "He wants her powers." "What exactly are her powers?" "The only thing I know for sure is that she has some psychic ability. Beyond that is a mystery." "How'd she get them." "Now that would be a long story." "We have 55 minutes left. Talk fast." She smiled at them and took a deep breath.

"Those abilities have been passed down in my family for generations. It changes a little bit each time it's passed on. Sometimes you can do more, sometimes less. King Arthur, Robert the Bruce, Alexander the Great, Queen Elizabeth, and on. We were royal advisers with abilities far beyond most mortal people. Eventually, our gift adapted into today's psychic ability, but who knows whats still left. Anyway, during the revolutionary war with the 13 colonies, my family was caught shipping supplies to the colonial troops, and we were banished from England. When we came to America, we knew we had to hide and keep our abilities secret, especially during the times of the witch hunt. But, we survived, and like my father did to me, I passed that ability to my daughter, Rebecca. At about the same time, I was dating other men, trying to find her a good father figure. That's when I met Niero. At first he was a sweet gentleman, and he and Rebecca were really close friends. But, one day, they were together, and her powers started acting up. When he figured out her powers he became jealous and greedy. He convinced her to come with him and do things. Robberies, mostly, but still he was using her for his own selfish gains. When I found out about this, I dumped him, and left town. But he's been following us since. Everywhere we go, he tries to convince her to cooperate with him, and help him steal. Over time, he's gained some influences, and now...unless she cooperates with him, he kills someone. Someone close to her. A friend, boyfriend, pet, anything or anyone he can use to get to her. He can't kill her, or else he loses the power. But he thinks he can force her to help him or else. There." She sighed and leaned back again. "Anymore questions?"

They all stared at her blankly. "Royal Advisers?" "King Arthur? As in knights of the round table?" "Dude, this seems a little far-fetched to me. Got any proof?" Cyborg asked. She shrugged. "No, but she does. In her bag. Each king or queen gave us a small token of gratitude before we were banished. An amulet, pendant, ring, portrait, tons of other things. I put all of them in a safety deposit box before we left. She has the key in her bag." "Well, it doesn't matter if it's true or not. The fact is, she's gone now, and there's nothing we can do." She nodded and stood up to stretch. "Well, I think our time is almost up. Anymore questions before Mr. Cheerful decides to take me away?" She nodded towards the scrawny man who'd just relieved the guard. "Just one." Beast boy stepped foreword. "Why aren't you worried? You seem so calm and you keep making jokes. Even I know this is serious." She smiled at him. "You're the funny one. I can tell. You of all people know that every mood could use some livening up. Besides, I trust her. I taught her everything I know about surviving. She'll be fine on her own." "Lets go." Mr. Cheerful grunted at her. She nodded and turned around. He led her out of the room and into the hall way. "This way." He pointed to another direction. She looked at him confused, but obeyed, and followed him into an elevator. "Rebecca will be fine," She gasped and turned around, but he pinned her against the wall before she could move. With one hand he pushed the stop button, with the other, he held her by the throat. "But I can't say the same for you." His gray eyes stared at her intently as she gasped. Her cuffed hands clasped and clawed at the one holding her throat, but he didn't let go. A few minutes later, her strength faded, her eyes closed, and her hands fell limp at her sides. He let her go, and stared at her frozen body. "You've been a thorn in my side for too long. I've got new toys to play with now." He opened the door of the elevator, and cooly walked out of the building.


	5. Chapter 5

Every inch of Rebecca's body was screaming in agony. From her calloused feet and empty stomach to the massive pounding in her head. "I don't remember this being so difficult. I think living with the titans made me soft." She grumbled to herself as her stomach moaned. "I know, I know, I'm looking alright?" She swallow, and flinched at the dryness in her throat. How could the air be so close in all these trees, yet her throat feel like the sahara? It was impossible to understand. Her feet continued moving, even without her telling them to. She was too focused on finding something to eat, anything to get rid of at least 1 pain in her body. Finally, under a large shady pine she found some little white mushrooms. She dove for them, pausing only to make sure they weren't poisonous. The tiny bugs under the bellcap told her they were safe. She sat down to rest, and pick up some nearby rocks looking for more mushrooms. "Ug. Mom was a lot better at this." She sighed sadly. After her stomach had dulled its groans a bit, she started walking again. It was very late before she reached any sort of civilization. Right at the edge of a town, no bigger than most schools, she stumbled into a tiny residential area, filled mostly with trailers and mobile homes. " I can sneak some food and crash under one for tonight. Sounds a lot better than sleeping in the woods with an empty stomach." She stayed out on the very edge, watching the homes until at last, one couple left their home to visit their neighbors. She quickly crept over to the trailer, cutting the screen on one of the windows and crawling in. The TV was left on, so she knew it would only be a couple of minutes before the owners returned to continue watching it. She pulled open the fridge and started rummaging through, listening hard for the sounds of footsteps.

"Investigators are still unsure of how the suspect entered the prison, or why he would kill an inmate. We have been given this footage to show the public, in hopes that anyone with information as to the identity of this man will step forward." She closed the fridge door, and barely glanced at the TV before doing a double take. The picture of a man in an elevator standing over a pixel figure sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly, the man looked up at the camera. Rebecca felt her body freeze. The food in her hands tumbled to the floor as the man on the TV grinned, and stepped out of the elevator. "No..." She kept her eyes open, knowing the image of the man grinning would be burned into the back of her lids. She couldn't believe it. Refused to believe it. "No. I'll check. It's only been a day, he can't have caught up already." She concentrated, harder than ever before. She closed her eyes, and just as she knew it would, there was the image of the grinning man. Raw hatred, so hot it instantly thawed, seered through her veins. She took a deep breath, and halfway through the smell of mold and pets vanished, replaced with smog and garbage. She was back in jump city.

Weakness and hunger were instantly replaced by fear and fury. She turned and bolted down the street towards the police station. "If everything's ok, it'll be quiet. No reporters, no investigators, just an empty street." She chanted this to herself as she ran, each beat in time with her steps.

"No one's there, all clear. No one's there all clear. No one's-" She rounded the corner and skidded to a halt. Yellow police tape was wrapped around the doors. 3 reporters were infront of cameras. Giving a brief follow-up of the incident. She could only vaguely hear them as the pounding in her head returned. "Police are still searching for a runaway teen. Rebecca, the victim's daughter, was last reported staying with the titans, but unfortunately disappeared just before the incident. Witnesses indicate..." "Rebecca." She flinched at her name being called, but kept her eyes locked on the door. "We knew you'd come back here. Do you, I mean...well..." Beast Boy stepped towards her cautiously. "I'm so sorry." "No." She choked, and fell as all of her earlier pains returned in full force. "Rebecca? Becca, are you ok?" "Niero..." She growled. "That bastard. He's not getting away with this." "No, he won't. We're not gonna let him." She glanced up at Beast boy, noticing for the first time that the others were with him as well. "Rebecca, we want you to come stay with us." "Robin stepped closer, not as cautious as Beat Boy. He put a hand on her shoulder. "If any news comes up about him, we'll be the first to know, and we'll be right there with you to catch him." "I don't want to catch him." She hissed. "He's not going to prison, he's going to pay!" He hesitated, but squeezed her shoulder. "We can help you find him. If you really want to do this, then we're your best option." She nodded. "Thank you."

Rebecca waited patiently, but there was no sign of Niero for the next few days. Every morning, she would call the sheriff and the investigator in charge of her mother's case, and during the evening she would sit on the roof alone. About a week later, they finally released her mother's body. There was no funeral for her. There wasn't really a point to a funeral; no one would show up to it. Instead, Rebecca asked the Titans for a favor. "I'd like to bury her at sea." She told them. "She loved the ocean, probably as much as she loved me. I think that's how she'd want it." They agreed, and the next day, tossed her body into the ocean. When they got home, the alarm was going off. "Is it him?" Rebecca asked. There was a mixture of hope and fear in her voice. "No, its Plasmas. He's escaped, and trashing the city." Rebecca sighed in disappointment. "C'mon Titans, let's go." Robin commanded, and they all ran towards the garage. Rebecca stayed behind whenever something happened. They'd invited her to help several times, but she didn't want to risk her powers like that. Not until she knew more about them. While they were out fighting bad guys, she would go to the gym and work on her control. She figured it was safer with no one around to get hurt. But this time, something was different. The Titans went out, as usual. They kicked bad guy butt, as usual. They came home, as usual, but this time, someone was waiting for them in the garage. "Who's there?" Cyborg pulled out his cannon and aimed it at the shadow. "You know me already." The shadow told them. "Do we now?" It nodded. "No doubt Rebecca told you, probably hoping she could protect you, or her mother." Cyborg fired his cannon, but the shadow dodged it. Robin threw his birdrangs at it, but he jumped to the side and ran towards Robin. Robin jumped back and pulled out his staff, and hit him square in the side. He flew into the wall, where Robin jumped on him and pinned him down. He smiled at Robin. "You're pretty good...for a kid." He disappeared from under Robin. "What the-" Someone grabbed him from behind and pinned his arm against his back. "Now then," Niero made Robin stand up in front of him and face the Titans. "If you guys want to see him alive again, you'll do as I say."

A couple minutes later, Beast Boy walked into the gym. "Rebecca, we need to talk." Rebecca stopped hitting the punching bag and smiled at Beast Boy. "It's about time you got home. Didn't the fight end a while ago?" Beast Boy nodded. "There was, uh...traffic problems." He walked in and shut the door behind him. "Rebecca, he's here." He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "What?" "Hey, would you stop punching that bag already, we need to talk." He yelled and started punching the bag. "It's Niero; I'm supposed to take you to the living room. He's got Robin, and the others are there with him. I'm supposed to bring you in there so we can trade. Robin for you." He kept punching the bag. "C'mon! I said stop it already!" He yelled loudly while Rebecca thought for a moment. "Take me there. I'll play along with him until you get Robin back. Beast Boy, what is it?" She yelled back and grabbed his hands. "Are you sure?" He mouthed to her. She nodded. "C'mon, we can talk in the living room." He yelled and motioned for her to follow him. He walked out of the door with Rebecca right behind him. Her heart thudded in her ears. Why hadn't she thought of this? Ofcourse he would think to use the Titans. But it was too late for regret now. This was her shot and nothing was going to stop her from getting her revenge. "Hello Becca." She jumped around, but didn't have time to dodge his punch.

"Rebecca! Hey!" Beast Boy heard the commotion and started to run back. Niero Tossed Rebecca over his shoulder. She thrashed about screaming. "Let me go! Damn you Beast Boy!" "It wasn't me Rebecca I swear! You lying son-of-a-" "You're calling me a liar? I heard you in there. I should be saying that to you. But, since I'm not a liar, your friends are still waiting." Rebecca continued thrashing, until Niero finally set her down. You know, if you're going to keep doing that, I'm not going to let you see where I'm going. He pulled out a gun from a pocket and hit her head with the handle. She fell limp in his arms as he tossed her over again. "Hey! You're not going anywhere!" Beast Boy morphed into a bear and charged for Niero, but he just smiled and aimed his gun. He quickly morphed again into a bird and dodged it. He flew towards Niero and knocked the gun out of his hands. Niero growled, and turned to run off, but Beast Boy flew in front of him and morphed into a wolf. He growled and blocked Nieros exit. Niero laughed at him. "Stupid kid." He took Rebecca off of his shoulder and stood her in front of him. He whispered something in her ear and, Rebecca stood up straight, still with her eyes closed and walked towards Beast Boy. He stopped growling and watched as she stepped foreword and held out a hand in front of her. "Rebecca?" He morphed back and stood there for a minute. Suddenly, he felt something inside of him ache. Rebecca closed her fist as he crippled over in pain. "Rebecca, what are you-" "You haven't figured it out? Pitty for you then." Niero grinned and whispered something else in her ear. She raised her hand, forcing Beast Boy to stand up. "Rebecca! Snap out of it!" He yelled, but nothing happened. It wasn't long before the pain became too much. Beast Boy fell out of the air and hit the ground. Niero chuckled and snapped his fingers. Rebecca went limp again, and was carried out of the tower.


	6. Chapter 6

"Beast Boy, Beast Boy awaken!" Someone was talking to him. He slowly opened his eyes at first, "Uh...what am I doing on the- wait!" He jumped up. "Where's Rebecca?" He looked around and knew the answer from the sad faces. "He tied us up with some metal cord. It took us a while to get out of it. He's been gone for a while." Raven told him. Beast Boy growled and punched the wall. "Damnit. I tried to warn her, but he heard me. He snuck up on us and...I don't know. He did something to her." "What did he do?" Robin asked. Beat Boy thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. "He whispered something in her ear. I don't know what, but somehow, he took control of her." Robin looked at Raven for an answer to his question. "It doesn't sound like he's a psychic too. Otherwise he would just use his powers. He might be a hypnotist." "That might be how he got her to cooperate." Cyborg agreed. "We must find our friend, before the bad guy takes over again." Starfire glanced over at Robin. "We don't have any leads Starfire. He could've gone anywhere." "Not really. He's only been gone maybe an hour or 2. He's probably still in the city. If we start looking now, maybe we can find her." "Alright, start close to the tower and fan out from there. Everyone take a direction. If you find something, just stay on their tail. Don't do anything stupid, we don't know all of Rebecca's powers, and if Niero still has control of her there's no telling what he can do. Got it?" Everyone nodded. "Alright, Titans, Go!"

They searched for the remainder of the day, but didn't find anything. It was midnight when they finally called it quits and returned to the Tower. "We're not gonna find her, are we?" Beast Boy asked. "We will. We know he's planning on using her to steal, we just need to listen for any robberies that sound like her." Robin sat down at the computer and began typing away. "We won't be able to hear about robberies if they're outside of the city." Raven pointed out. "Hey Cyborg, can you boost the frequency so we can hear other cities?" "Yea, but if I do the alarm will be going off every time the police are called. That alarm will be sounding every 15 minutes." "Do it. Well each take turns turning off the alarm if its outside the city while the rest of us sleep. I'll take the first shift." Cyborg yawned, and sighed. "Alright. I'll boost the frequency here real quick." Cyborg walked over to the computer and linked with it. He typed in a few things, and eventually the alarm went off. Robin quickly reached to turn it off, but Cyborg stopped him. "Hold it, I haven't finished yet. This ones from here." Robin jumped up and waited for good news. "It's her and Niero's with her. They're just down the street too." "Alright Titan's lets go!" Niero was sitting on the roof of a bank as the drove up. "I knew you'd come." He grinned. "Where is she?" Robin yelled as he jumped off his bike. Niero shrugged. "Probably at her next target by now. You guys took your time getting here." Robin looked at Raven and Beast Boy. "You guys go try stopping her; we'll take care of him." "How are we supposed to stop her?" "Just keep her busy, I bet if we get rid of him, he'll let go of her." Raven nodded as Beast Boy morphed and they flew off. "Good idea Bird Boy." Niero clapped at them mockingly. "Not bad at all. But not good enough. You would've been better off together than 2 people short. Besides," Niero stood up and chuckled. "You have no idea what she can do, but I do." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, there was a bright flash. Rebecca appeared right in front of them. Her eyes were still closed, and though she was standing her posture was limp, like a puppet being held only by strings. Niero jumped off and landed smoothly on the ground. He leaned in close to Rebecca, this time he didn't whisper. "Kill them."

Meanwhile, Beast Boy and Raven were flying as fast as they could, when something beeped. Raven pulled out her communicator and opened it. "Raven, she's here. We need you back-" the communicator cut off. She put it away and did an immediate U-turn with Beast Boy right behind her. When they made it back, Cyborg was being forced into a wall, while Star fires star bolts were being deflected. "Everything we throw at her just gets thrown back." Cyborg yelled. "And we can not get close enough to strike her" Starfire stood up and dusted herself off. "Try targeting Niero. We'll hold her off." He told Star and Cyborg. She grabbed his arm and flew behind Rebecca while Robin threw smoke bombs at her. Beast Boy morphed into a goat and charged towards Rebecca while Cyborg fired his cannon at Niero. Rebecca dodged the goat and stepped closer to Niero to deflect the cannon. Niero laughed at them. "Keep trying." He leaned against the wall of the bank and continued watching them. What he didn't see was beast boy morphing into a hummingbird and flying just above him. Suddenly, a giant hippo was crushing both Rebecca and Niero. The Titans quickly pulled out Rebecca, but Niero was stuck. "Let her go." Robin commanded. Niero laughed at him. "Why should I?" Robin growled and kicked him in the face. "I said let her go." Niero looked up and spat out blood. "No way." Robin kicked him again, this time breaking his nose and a few of his teeth. Niero grinned with his bloody mouth and holy smile. "Not...happening." Robin raised his foot again, but Cyborg stopped him. "Rob, that's enough." "There's gotta be something we can do." He growled. Niero laughed at them. "She's mine. She's not going anywhere." Rebecca lunged for Robin, who threw her off and into the giant green hippo. "Raven, can you get into her head?" Robin asked. She looked at him like he was crazy. "I'm not sure. I've never tried it on someone while their mind is being controlled." Rebecca held out her hand and lifted Robin into the air. The look on his face told her what to do. "Someone needs to watch my body." "I got it." Cyborg stood in front of her shooting his cannon at Rebecca, trying to get Robin down. Raven took a couple steps back and sat down. She chanted and began to meditate while everyone else tried to get Robin down.

When she opened her eyes, There were 2 figures wrestling in the darkness. One was tall, but thin and wiry, as though he'd been starved his whole life. Another, a girl, small, and pale, no older than 6, was being pinned down by the wirery man, screaming and struggling with all her might. "Lemme go! Lemme go!" "Not a chance." The wirey man grinned deviously as the little girl screamed and kicked harder. "Rebecca" Raven ran towards the man and gave him a good shove. He fell off of the little girl, but before she could stand he grabbed her leg and pulled her down again. "No! I've waited 15 years for this! I'm not gonna lose her again!" The girl kicked his hand off of her leg and ran a few steps away from him. "You're never gonna hurt me or my friend again!" Raven watched as instantly the girl grew. She stood a foot taller, her face lost it's baby-ish tones, her body matured. It only took a few seconds, but were once stood a tiny girl now stood a grown woman, well into her thirties. The wirery man watched from the ground in horror as she walked towards him and planted a foot right into the man's face. "Rebecca! Rebecca no!"

"NO!" Raven yelled and opened her eyes. She looked around, trying to take in what had happened while she was meditating. Rebecca was holding Niero by the collar. "You lying bastard!" She screamed. Niero had a horrified look on his face. "My hypnosis? How'd you-" "I've got a telepath on my side," Rebecca reached into her pocket with one hand while holding him with the other. Robin saw it, but couldn't react fast enough. "The only thing on your side is my knife." She pulled it out and stabbed him in the side. Robin ran over and pulled her off of him as he fell. "Rebecca stop it! We don't do that!" "Let me go!" She screamed. "That bastard killed her, I know he did!" Robin was thrown back. Rebecca held out her hand toward Niero, who let out a piercing scream. Cyborg tried to tackle her to the ground, but Rebecca quickly dodged and sent him flying after Robin. Beast Boy morphed into a goat, but didn't even get a chance to charge. Starfire quickly grabbed Niero and flew to the roof top. "Rebecca, we must be nice to the evil man." She yelled, but no one was listening. Raven used her dark magic to subdue her, long enough for Robin to pull out an injection and knock her out. She fell limp, and Starfire flew down from the roof. "I'll take her home. You guys stay here and keep an eye on him till the cops show up." They all nodded and watched as Robin hopped on his bike. He put Rebecca's limp body in front of him and held onto her with one hand, while driving with the other. Shortly before he made it back, Rebecca woke up. "Where is he?" She groaned. "He's in jail where he belongs. We need to talk about what you did." Rebecca sighed as he pulled into the garage and let her off the bike. "Rebecca, we don't do that here. Every criminal gets a trial. We don't give out justice, that the court's decision. We just catch them." "And what happens then?" Rebecca yelled. "He gets some lame 3 month sentence and then what? He's back on the streets! Robin he killed my mom, my friends, so many people I care about, they're all gone! And you're trying to tell me I can't avenge them?" Robin didn't move. He knew there was no point in arguing at the moment, besides, he didn't have an argument. Rebecca sighed and ran off into the tower. After the rest of the Titans got home, Robin finally decided to try again, and found her sitting on the roof. She was staring at the stars in the horizon when she heard the door open. She didn't need to see him to know who it was. "If you're here to tell me what I did was wrong, save your breath." Robin didn't say anything; he simply walked over and sat next to her. "I didn't come here to say that." "Then what do you want?" "I wanted to tell you a story." Rebecca eyed him, but didn't seem like she was going to stop him. "Once upon a time, there was a kid, who lived in the circus with his parents and brother. They were a family of acrobats who traveled all over the world doing performances and wow crowds. Their specialty was the trapeze." He didn't look at Rebecca, he kept his eyes straight ahead, but Rebecca could hear what he wasn't actually saying. "One day, they were doing a big performance for charity. A whole bunch of rich and famous people were there. It was a great show, but just before their main event, something awful happened. A maniac came stormed the place. All the circus people were brave. They fought the bad guys as hard as they could, but they were no match. The boy's family included. They were gunned down right in front of him."

He glanced at her for barely a second, to make sure she was paying attention, and continued. "They boy was sad, but only at first, Soon, he was angry. He wanted vengeance. He wanted that maniac to pay for what he did. But he was lucky. He was saved." "Saved how?" She asked him. "A man adopted him. A very wise and brave man, who knew exactly what kind of pain he was in. He taught the boy how to fight, and told him something he would never forget." Rebecca waited. She didn't need to ask what it was. This was the how point of the story. "You can't live your life for revenge. If will eat away at your soul forever. If you ever actually get it, what then? You'll have nothing left to live for. And if you don't you'll just have a wasted your life away." "I'm not letting him get away with this Robin." "You shouldn't. But your Mom wouldn't want you to sink down to his level. She wouldn't want you to become a killer. I'm not going to say what you did was wrong Rebecca, but it wasn't justified." "But Mom," "Rebecca." He sighed and looked her in the eye. Something in there told him she felt bad, but something else in there scared him. "Rebecca, its not our place to judge. We protect, we don't execute. He will be tried, and there's no way he's going to get something lame." She smiled and nodded at him. "Thank you Robin." He nodded and stood up. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, it's well past midnight." He stretched. Rebecca's eye widened. "Really?" He nodded. "You should get some sleep." He walked back inside. Rebecca knew he was right, but she just couldn't sleep. "He's gone now. He's caught. He's not getting away. I did it mom. We did it. We're finally free." She smiled, but her smile quickly faded. "I wish you were here...to celebrate with me."


	7. Chapter 7

Cyborg slammed on the brakes, causing everyone to slide foreword. He swerved and nearly hit a pole, but missed. "Whew! Well, were here." He sighed and got out of the car. Everyone followed him outside to the bank, where Dr. Light had just broken in. Raven sighed. "I'll take care of him." Robin pulled up in front of her. "No, he's not alone in there. He's with Mumbo and Johnny Multiply. We go in together." Raven nodded as he hopped off the bike. "Ready Titans? Go!" He yelled and they all ran into the bank. Several Johnnys were running around collecting money from the pedestrians, while Mumbo and Dr. Light were busy opening the vault. Raven quickly took care of Dr. Light with her magic, while Starfire and Robin tackled Mumbo. "Not this time, Mumbo Jumbo!" He yelled and pointed his wand at Robin. Sparks flew from it followed by a bunch of scarves. The scarves light on fire and flew after him, but Starfire quickly ripped out a water pipe from the wall and put them out while he ran up and kicked Mumbo in the face. Meanwhile, Cyborg and beast Boy were busy taking care of the Johnnys. Cyborg fired his cannon at him and hit him square in the back. One Johnny flew back, but 2 tackled Cyborg and removed his arm. "Well hey there partner, why you hittin yourself?" He laughed and smacked Cyborg with his own arm. Beast Boy morphed into a gorilla and pile-drived Johnny into the ground. Cyborg stood up and grabbed his arm while Johnny multiplied into 6 Johnnys and picked up Beast Boy. "Yo! No one takes me apart!" Cyborg fumed as he fired his cannon at the Johnnys. He hit 4, and the last 2 were squished by Beast Boy again. Before he could multiply more, Beast Boy morphed into a whale, keeping them trapped under him. Cyborg quickly grabbed the one's he hit and threw them into the vault and locked the door. "There. Let's see you multiple out of that." He grinned and looked over at beast boy. The one's he smashed were out cold, and not going anywhere until the cops go there. Everyone went over and help out Robin catch Mumbo. Mumbo glared at them. "Looks like it's time for the finale. Mumbo Gumbo!" He yelled, and all 3 of the villains disappeared. Cyborg checked the vault and cursed. "They all got away..." They stayed long enough to report to the police what happened, and left for the tower.

When they got there, they had a surprise waiting for them outside. Johnny Multiply, Mumbo, and Dr. Light were all tied up and out cold on the rocks. They were in bad shape. Rebecca walked out and smiled at them. "I saw them running on the TV. So I thought I'd help out." She grinned. "Rebecca...what did you do?" Robin asked. Cyborg walked up and examined them with his arm. "Nothing too bad. Few broken bones...Hold it, Johnny's got internal bleeding. And mumbo's got a concussion." She grinned. "Those two were a bit more stubborn." Robin glared at her. "Let's get them to the hospital." Rebecca's jaw dropped. "Wait, I caught them, now you want to heal them? What's with that?" "Rebecca, I told you, we don't punish, we catch." "And what did I do? Not my fault they fought back. I had to do something." "You didn't have to beat them into bloody pulps." Robin glared at her. "Rebecca, come with me. The rest of you guys take care of them." Robin grabbed Rebecca's arm and dragged her inside. "I don't get it." "That's why were still here." "What did I do wrong?" "You nearly killed them!" He stopped and turned to face her. "Rebecca, we just don't do that! A broken bone is somewhat acceptable, but internal bleeding? Concussion?" Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I thought we were supposed to be catching the bad guys." "Catching them, not killing them!" "I didn't kill them!" "You almost did!" "But I didn't! They're still alive, are you deaf or something?" "Barely! If something else happened they'd be goners!" "So what?" She yelled back at him. "These bastards are hurting people; don't they deserve to be punished?" Robin stood there staring at her. He sighed. "From now on, leave the hero work to us." She stood there glaring at him for a moment, before turning and storming off.

Robin sighed, and shook his head. "If only she'd understand. She'd make a great Titan." "Are we gonna fix her?" Robin turned and saw beast Boy standing in the doorway. "They only needed 3 people. So I stayed behind." Robin looked at him sadly. "She's not broken, just confused." "Is she ever going to be normal again?" Robin paused. "I hope so Beast Boy...I really do." Meanwhile, Rebecca was walking down the street, muttering to herself as she kicked rocks and stared at the ground. "Ungrateful little punks. I helped them catch the villains and what do I get? A damn lecture?" Some trash cans randomly fell over as she walked by, but she didn't notice. "Well, who needs them? I can take care of myself. I'll become my own hero, and then there won't even be a need for cops! I will be the justice system. The judge, jury, and the executioner." Rebecca froze. "Wait, what did I just say? I don't want to kill anyone." She sighed and sat down on the curb. "What's going on with me? I don't wanna leave. They're my friends. They took care of me when I needed help." "And now they want you to leave." Rebecca jumped and turned around. A dark figure stepped out of the shadow and bowed. "Someone with your power doesn't need friends, or help. Only instruction." Rebecca eyed him warily. He wore a black and red mask, and some kind of suit made of metal. Something about him sent a chill down her spine, but she stood her ground. "What powers? What on earth are you talking about?" "Child, don't lie to me." He motioned towards the street. The entire block was covered in trash and over turned cars. She froze, wondering who didn't see her little temper tantrum. "You shouldn't hide your gift. You should explore it. God graced you with special abilities. He wouldn't have if he didn't want you to use them." He stood up and stepped foreword. "I can help you control them." Rebecca's ears burned. "How?" "Through out the years, I've taught many people how to control their gifts. I can do the same for you. All I ask is for your cooperation." "What do you mean cooperation?" Rebecca stepped back. "You see, I'm not exactly what your friends would call a 'good guy'." Rebecca didn't need to hear anything else to know what he meant.

"Sorry, I don't associate with criminals." "Strange, I thought your mother-" Rebecca whipped around and lunged for him. He easily dodged her, and she fell. "My mother was not a criminal!" Her anger flared. The ground began to quake as she ran towards him again. He grabbed her fist and held her there for a moment. "Your anger is your weakness, but it is also your strength. You need to learn control. You need my help." "I don't need anyone!" She screamed as her powers took over. He opened his fist and stumbled backwards. She threw countless objects at him until he was too tired to avoid them. He got hit by a second car, and was trapped by it. "I thought you didn't want to be the executioner Rebecca?" She froze and stared at him. "Have you changed your mind already?" She sighed and relaxed a bit before walked over and helping him out from under the car. "What do I need to do?" She asked him. "First, I need a little proof of loyalty." She looked at him and knew what he wanted. "Hidden in Pentels main technology building is a special chip. A computer chip, nothing more. I want it." "Why?" "That's not your problem. Get it for me, and I'll teach you everything you'll ever need to know. You have 1 month. If you get it, meet me under the bridge in central park at sunset. I'll be waiting for the spoils." And without another word, he took off.

The next morning, Becca woke up on the roof of the tower. She heard someone open the door slowly and walk towards her. "Are you ok?" She groaned and rolled over. Beast Boy was standing over her with a worried look. "You crashed out here? How come you didn't come inside?" He asked. Becca shrugged and rolled over again. She couldn't think of an answer to give him. "Well, if you get hungry, breakfast is ready." Her stomach growled at the mention of food. Beast boy laughed at her, and offered her his hand. "C'mon inside. Your stomach might thank you." She smiled and took his hand. "Don't think I've eaten since breakfast yesterday." "Well, yea you kinda ran off. Where'd you go anyway?" She stood up and shrugged. "Here and there. I just wandered a bit." She followed beast boy inside to the kitchen where everyone else was waiting. "Hey, where'd you go last night?" "We were getting worried about you." "Friend, are you alright?" Becca smiled and nodded at them. "I'm fine; I just took a long walk yesterday." Becca sat down and looked at the counter in front of her. Classic breakfast, pancakes, sausages, bacon, eggs, juice, hash browns, you name it, and it was there. Her stomach growled again as she grabbed some eggs and bacon. About a minute later, the alarm went off. "No way man, it's too early for crime!" Cyborg complained as he set the syrup down. "Sorry Cyborg, it looks like cinderblock got out again." Everyone sighed and went to the garage. Robin stayed behind for a moment. "Please don't leave the tower. I don't want a repeat of yesterday." Becca nodded and poured one more glass of juice. "Try going to the gym to practice your control?" She looked and him and nodded. "I'll do that." He smiled at her, and quickly ran for the garage. She finished her glass of juice and waited for the alarm to stop before deciding to go to the gym. On her way there, she noticed a room she'd never been in before. She took a closer look at the door and read the sign. "Evidence Room. Wonder whats in there?" The door opened for her, making her jump, but she walked in and decided to take a quick look around. The room was very dark, but she could still make out a few objects. Most of the stuff was sealed in a glass case with a label. "Mumbo's wand, Plasmus' goo, what is all of this?" She looked to her right and gasped. A whole section on the room was devoted solely to the man she met last night. His mask was in another case, along with several other things and the wall was covered in newspaper clippings with his pictures. Becca stepped foreword for a closer look. "October 14th near the bay bridge, Slade was caught placing bombs on the support beams. Although the Titans arrived in time to stop the bombs, Slade was not apprehended. He is still at large, and considered to be one of the most dangerous criminals this city has ever known. Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans, who daily protect our city, told us in an exclusive interview, 'Slade is smart and cunning, but he underestimates my team. We'll stop him."

"No way...I can't believe it." She stepped back from the wall. "The most dangerous criminal...Slade?" She looked over at the red and black mask. There was no mistaking, it was definitely the same person. "It doesn't make any sense. Why would he want to help me?" Rebecca thought for a moment, but soon decided to leave. She went to the gym and saw Cyborg's weights lying on the floor. She knew they were his because they were too large for anyone else to lift. She'd often seen Starfire struggling to put them away if he was too tired. She smiled and closed her eyes, concentrating as hard as she could on the weights. A minute later, she peeked and sees the weights, still lying on the floor. She growled, and tried again, this time imagining the weights floating in midair. She concentrated...harder, harder, until finally she peeked again. "Damnit!" She cursed and stomped her foot. At the same instant, the weights lifted for a moment, then fell leaving a big dent in the floor. "Your anger is your weakness, but it is also your strength. I wonder." She closed her eyes again, this time she thought about Niero. The first time she stole for him. When she saw him hit her mother, when he finally killed her...She felt her anger course through her veins. She opened her eyes and stared intently at the weights. "Move." They stood up on their sides and rolled across the room. Rebecca smiled, and tried to think of something else. She remembered Cyborg calling her mother a criminal the night she was caught. Her blood boiled as she continued to stare at the weights. Suddenly, they flew towards her, knocking her in the face, and stomach. Her rage grew as she fell to her knees. "Stop!" She commanded, but nothing listened. The lights flickered, as the remains of the gym began to fly. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of being crushed.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Rebecca? You ok?" She groaned, and tried to open her eyes, but couldn't. "Don't try to move. We found you under a huge pile of metal. You're pretty messed up." She finally recognized the voice. "Hey BB. Did you get Cinderblock?" "Yea, it took us a while, but we got him." "That's good. Why can't I open my eyes?" "They're swollen shut. When I said you're pretty messed up, I wasn't kidding." Rebecca sighed. "Man, what were you doing in there? The gym looks almost as bad as you do now." She laughed, then cried out in pain. "Why can't I move? Just how bad am I?" "Well... You've broken both arms and legs, along with about 4 ribs, a small concussion, and a sprained ankle." Another voice answered. This one was deeper, but also familiar. "I guess you're the one who checked me out hu Cyborg?" "Yea. Dude, were you trying to mess with my weights? You know I'm the only one who can lift those." "Yea I know." "So why'd you do it?" "Why does everyone keep asking me all these questions? I wanted to practice and things got out of hand. I'm sorry alright?" She snapped. Even though she couldn't see, the awkward silence told her everything she needed to know. "C'mon guys. She needs to rest now." She waited till she heard the door close and sighed.

For 2 weeks, Rebecca was confined to that bed. Though she would sometimes get visitors, it didn't really matter. Her eyes opened after 4 days, and after the first week, she could move her hands a little, but for the most part, she was frozen. Just lying in that bed. The Titans did what they could to help. Raven would bring in a book for her to read. Starfire helped her eat, though once she could open her eyes and see the tamaranian food, she asked beast boy to slip her some chips and soda now and then. Beast boy helped the most. He would come in and make her laugh until she cried from joy instead of pain. Cyborg did well too. He brought in an extra TV, and once he finished checking on her progress, they'd play videogames, and she'd always slaughter him. "HA! Take that! Even when I'm crippled, I rule!" She bragged as his face turned red. "Yea, well, just wait for tomorrow. You can try you luck at Speedster 4: Turbo Time!" "Hey, wait, tomorrows the end of the 3rd week. I thought I could get out of here?" "Well, you can but-" "Then you'd better take this to the living room again. I'm starting to get sick of this room." Cyborg smiled and nodded. "Alright, tomorrow event changes location. Hope you're ready for some REAL butt-whoopin!" "Oh, so all of that just now was you LETTING me win hu?" She laughed as his face grew red again. Raven walked in holding another book as Cyborg left. "What did you think?" She asked. Rebecca shook her head. "It wasn't bad, but I didn't like the ending. I mean, c'mon, I knew Thomar was gonna kill his brother since the first chapter." "Yes, but what about the prophesy? It said the older brother was supposed to kill the younger and become evil forever, but they're twins remember?" "Yea but Thomar was the first one born, Thorner was second." Raven nodded in agreement and handed her another book. "You should like this one. It's about a girl who finds her father after he abandoned her. It's good." Rebecca smiled and handed Raven her last book. "You know, tomorrow I'm getting out of this room." "Really? That's great news." "Yea, I can't wait. I'm so sick of staring at this ceiling." Rebecca laughed, but her smile quickly faded. "Hey, Raven, can I ask you something?" "What is it?" She hesitated for a moment as Raven sat down in a chair next to her. "Robin's the only one who hasn't visited me for 3 weeks. Is he mad at me?" Raven didn't answer at first. Instead she sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, the only time any of us see Robin anymore is when there's trouble." "Oh, ok." Rebecca frowned and opened up her new book. "Rebecca, you have to understand Robin. This is his team. He's the leader. So when something happens, he takes responsibility for it." "But I'm not a Titan, remember? I just live here." "But you're still his friend." Rebecca chuckled and shook her head. "Raven, if your friend was hurt, wouldn't you still make sure they were ok? Even if it was your fault?" Raven tried to say something, but knew she couldn't. She was right. Robin had been avoiding Rebecca for a reason. "Thank you for all the books Raven." Raven nodded, and stood up to go find Robin.

She found him in the gym, naturally. He was cleaning up the mess Rebecca had been trapped under. "I just came from the hospital wing." "Really now?" Robin grunted as he turned a treadmill upright. He stopped for a minute to catch his breath. "How's Rebecca?" "Better. Cyborgs removing her casts tomorrow morning." "That's good." He sighed and wiped his forehead before getting back to work. "She was asking about you." "What about me?" He picked up a broken barbell and threw it in a pile in the corner. "She wanted to know why you hadn't visited her." He threw more stuff into the pile until he finally found something that wasn't broken. "What did you tell her?" "What could I tell her?" "Raven, I'm busy." "We both know that's not true." He stopped and faced her. "Raven, what do you want me to do?" "I want you to go see her." "I can't do that." "And why is that?" "Raven you know me by now. How can I face her when I'm responsible for what happened? I told her to go practice in here." "Robin, if she'd come with us, nothing would've changed. She still would've lost control." "But we could've been there to help her." "Robin she thinks you're angry at her." "I'm not, I just..." He sighed. "She really thinks that?" "Yes she does. It's too late to see her now, but the least you can do is be there when Cyborg removes her casts." Robin nodded and went back to cleaning. Raven watched him for a bit before deciding it was time to get some sleep. "If you're not there tomorrow, I wouldn't bother asking for forgiveness from her." And without another word, she left.

The next morning came, and everyone could feel a slight buzz in the air. They were all excited to get Rebecca out of that hospital room. "Yea! It'd be great for her to get some fresh air!" Beast Boy jumped off the couch, morphing into a puppy and running for the door. "Well, not much has happened in the past couple of days, so I don't see why not?" Robin grinned and followed after Beast Boy. "Oh How exciting! A picnic to celebrate out friends return from the band aides." "Bandages, Starfire. I think she would like that." Raven pulled up her hood and closed her book. "Well, first things first. Cyborg smiled. "C'mon, lets get her out of that bed." They all rushed in at the same time. Rebecca was already awake and ready. "Alright CY, get these things off, I wanna get out of here." "Alright, here goes." Cyborg pulled out the special medical saw and slowly cut off the casts on her legs first. "Can you move?" She bent her knee and moved her toes. "Alright, lets get these arms going." Slowly, he cut away at one, until all the cotton and hard cast was lying on the floor. "Alright now try to-" Rebecca jumped up out of bed and tried to stand, but all she did was land flat on her face. "Geez girl, hold on. I was gonna tell you to take it easy. You haven't moved in 3 weeks, your muscles aren't as strong anymore." "Ug..." She groaned and tried to get up, but her arms just wouldn't work. "Here, I'll help you up." Robin kneeled down and grabbed her arms. He pulled her up to her feet and hung on to keep her up. "Here, this'll help." Cyborg rolled over a wheel chair. "I'll be fine." She locked her knees and let go of Robin. She stood steady for a minute. "There, see? I'll be fine?" Robin looked at her curiously. "You sure?" "Absolutely. I' -" She waved her arms, trying to keep balance, but lost the battle and ended up right on the floor again. "Uh hu...You're getting in the wheelchair." "Why? It's not like I'm going anywhere." "Actually, we got something planned for you." Beast Boy grinned. "What?" "Well, we figured you'd want to get out of here, so were going on a picnic." Robin picked her up bridal style and gently placed her in the wheel chair. Rebecca couldn't help but smile. "You didn't have to. I don't think I'll be much fun outside." "No way! We're going. Besides, we could all use a nice day off." Beast Boy grinned. Rebecca shook her head. "You're not going to listen to me are you?" He happily shook his head. "Alright. Lets go." Beast Boy jumped behind her and pushed her chair out the door. "YYYEEEEAAAA! AH!" A loud crash echoed from the hallway. "Ah! Beast Boy! Let me drive this thing!" "No way! It's my turn!" Cyborg yelled and chased after them. "Come Raven, let us fight over the driver!" "I'll be there in a bit." Starfire shrugged and followed them. Raven and Robin were the last 2. "I saw that." "Saw what?" "What you were doing. You can't hide from me Robin." She gave him a small smile. "Next time, you may wanna do that in private." She walked out after them. Robin stood there confused for a moment. "Do what in private?" He yelled. Finally, he shrugged, and ran after everyone.

"Robin! Over here!" "Beast Boy! Go Long!" Robin threw the football as far as he could. Beast Boy morphed into a hawk and caught it with his talons. "Hey Cy, how's that food coming?" Rebecca yelled over the game. "Boo-Yah! Cyborgs famous BBQ Burger for breakfast! Dig in y'all!" Rebecca greedily grabbed a stack and began shoveling food as fast as she could. "Hey! Leave some for us!" Robin yelled as he ran over and grabbed another stack. Beast Boy paled as he watched everyone eat. "Dudes, show some respect would ya?" Rebecca laughed. "Beast Boy, showing it respect wouldn't do much good since it's dead now." He nodded. "Still" "Don't worry, I cooked your nasty tofu for you." Cyborg handed him his special plate of tofu dogs. Beast Boy grinned and started shoveling right along with everyone else. Rebecca looked around at everyone and couldn't keep from smiling. Raven was off under a tree reading. Starfire was drinking out of a yellow bottle, while all the guys were racing to see who could eat fastest. She smiled at them, wondering what would've happened to her if they hadn't taken her in. "A foster home...Adoption eventually. I never would've seen my mom." She froze as a small thought crept into her head. If someone had taken me from here, I wouldn't have used my powers. Niero wouldn't have come looking for me. Mom would be "Hey, Becca, You ok?" Beast Boy set down his plate and watched her carefully. She sat there staring at the table for a moment before she answered him. "Yea I'm fine." She smiled again and continued to eat. Soon, the sunset came. Rebecca wheeled her chair over to the edge of the park. A small lake was there, and pleanty of ducks too. She watched them for a bit before someone came over. "You know, that's what I like most about this place." Robin sat down next to her. "What?" "The sunsets. You won't find another one like these anywhere." Rebecca looked up at the horizon. Her eyes grew wide as they tried to capture everything. The light blue, the purple, pink, orange, red, how the clouds blocked out some except for a small patch of ray, how the lake reflected it across the water. "Wow." She whispered. "Yea. Beautiful isn't it?" She nodded and looked down to the ducks. 2 were eating, while one quickly flew away to the other end. "So what are you going to do now?" "What?" "I mean, now that Niero's gone, have you thought about what you want to do with your life?" She froze for a moment. The last of the ducks flew off and she sat up to stare at the sunset. "I have, but I'm still not sure. I mean, what can I really do?" "You could join us." She turned towards him surprised. "I mean, well, you've got a great gift Rebecca, you just need some practice." "Some? Robin, have you seen me recently? I'm in a wheel chair." "Yea, but that won't happen every time you use them, right?" "Maybe not every time, but it will sooner or later. I don't wanna hurt anyone." Robin looked at her and grinned. "That's why I think you'd make a great Titan." She sighed and shook her head. "Give me time to think about it." He nodded, and went back to the picnic table. She decided to look around the lake a bit, and began rolling her chair. About halfway around, she suddenly grabbed the handles, and pushed herself upright. "I can do this. I can-Whoa!" She fell foreword and groaned. "I see you've been having some trouble recently."

She knew that voice. "I'm fine." "Obviously not. Tell me, were you trying to master your powers alone?" "Just shutup!" She yelled from the ground, and slowly got back into her chair. She looked up and saw Slade sitting in a tree. "I supposed you've figured out by now that you can't do it alone. You need help, my instruction." "I don't need help from anyone." "So I supposed what happened to you wasn't your fault?" She gripped the handles of her chair tightly. "I don't need your help." "Then why is there a whirlpool in the lake?" She looked behind her, watching the ducks fly away as a group, until she heard someone scream. "If you can really control your powers, then save the child." He taunted her. She stood up and fell face fist to the ground. She knew she couldn't do it. Her anger was out of control. Her fury moved from person to person. Slade for taunting her, herself for not knowing control, her mother for dying, Robin for putting her in jail...The whirlpool grew faster and faster. She laid there watching it, trying everything she could to calm down. Starfire quickly flew over the water and grabbed the little boy before he was fully submerged. The rest of the team was looking for her. "Rebecca!" She heard Beast Boy call her name, and finally, the whirlpool ceased. She sighed and shook her head. "Rebecca, did you-" "Please don't ask me BB. You already know the answer." His ears bent back, giving her a sad puppy look. "Are you ok?" "I'm fine. Don't worry." She crawled towards her chair and slowly pulled herself up. "How's the kid?" "He'll be alright. He's with his Mom now." "Good." She turned her chair, and started rolling away. "Hey, where are you going?" He yelled at her, but never got a reply.


	9. Chapter 9

A block away, Rebecca rolled across the street to a small grocery store. She found a cart, and grabbed onto the handles. She pushed herself up, and leaned over the handle of the cart. "Now, one foot." She stepped foreword, keeping as much weight as she could on the cart. "And the other." Soon, she was inside the store, wandering up and down the aisles. Robin eventually found her, but let her stay until she was too tired to keep walking. "Ok, just one more-whoa!" She slipped, hitting her chin on the handle. "You ok?" Robin walked over. "Yea, just one more try." She grunted as she tried to push herself back up, but she just couldn't do it. Her body was too sore for her to move anywhere. "C'mon, I think you've had enough." Robin kneeled down next to her and smiled. "You've made great progress though." "Yea sure. Now all I need to do is figure out how to keep a cart with me 24/7. Then I'm set." She laughed. He stood up still smiling and offered her a hand. She tried to reach up and grab it, but could even do that. He chuckled. "Ok then. Guess I'm just going to have to carry you." He squatted down and picked her up bridal-style and walked outside. "Hey, didn't you leave the wheel chair here?" "Yea? Why?" "Well...it's not here." "What?" She looked around the best she could, but all she saw was an empty parking lot. "Damnit someone stole my chair!" "Well, I guess we shouldn't have left it there...Don't worry. It'll be easier just to give you a ride anyway." He walked over to his bike and slowly set her down in front. "Besides, I thought you hated being in the chair?" "I do, but it's still useful." He chuckled and slipped on a helmet as he sat behind her. He reached his arms around her and grabbed the handle and started up the engine. "Lean you head on my shoulder so I can see." He revved the engine and sped off, forcing her to lean back against him anyway. She didn't realize how tense she was until she finally relaxed a bit. Her muscles ached from exhaustion, but the cool night air helped ease her pain.

Soon, there were back at the tower. Robin made sure she made it to the couch by carrying her there and placing her softly on the cushions. "You know, I think I like this couch more than that hospital bed." She smiled. "I don't blame you. I've been stuck there a few times too. There's 23 ceiling tiles in there and each one has between 234 and 357 dots." She laughed at him and shook her head. "Guess I shouldn't be complaining then hu?" He shrugged and yawned. "Yea, I'm gonna crash. It's already 2 am." "Alright. Good night Robin." "Good night." Rebecca watched him stretch and walk out of the room. She reached under the couch, where she kept her bag with her stuff in it. She unzipped it and started to rummage through. In the inner pocket she found her moms key. "The box...I wonder if I could take a look at some of that stuff?" She thought for a moment, before yawning and putting it back. "I'll go tomorrow. Maybe there'll be something useful in there." These were her last thoughts as she slowly drifted off to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, a green tabby was purring in the floor next to her. "Hey BB. What time is it?" It meowed and looked over at the clock on the wall. "10:00 hu? I guess that's enough sleep." She grunted and tried to sit up, but fell back on the couch. Her muscles were still incredibly sore from last night. The tabby jumped up in her lap and hissed at her. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked. It turned around and gently slapped her in the face with its tail before jumping off and morphing back into Beast Boy. "Robin said you're not supposed to go anywhere today. So I'm supposed to make sure you don't." "Where's everyone else?" "They're out getting pizza. They promised to bring us back some." She sighed. "So much for today." "What?" "Well, I was hoping to go somewhere today. It's not too far from here...At least I don't think it's too far from here..." "Where?" "Gotham City." "Really? What for?" "Well, that's where I lived before Niero came along. There's something there I'd like to check out." "Really? Robins from there too. I'm sure he'd like to go see Batman." She raised an eyebrow. "Batman? How does Robin know Batman?" "They were partners." "Really? Wow...I had no idea." "Yea. Batman taught him everything he knows. Including his up-tight leadership attitude." She laughed and slowly sat up. The story if the circus boy floated back to her head, but it didn't surprise her. Beast Boy tried to protest, but knew that it was pointless. She stretched as far as she could, making her muscles scream in agony, but once she stopped they felt much better. She tried to stand, but she fell again, and figured she should wait a bit before trying again. "Wow, you really did make some progress last night." "Yea, but man am I sore." "Well, Robin told us you were-" "Pizza! Everyone dig in!" Cyborg ran in through the door, dropped 5 pizzas on the table, and started eating his. Raven and Robin came in shortly behind him. "Hey, how are you feeling?" "I've been better." She smirked and tried to stand up again. Beast Boy quickly grabbed her arm before she could fall back on the couch and steadied her. "Thanks BB. I think I'm ok now." He slowly let go of her, and grinned when she didn't fall again.

Everyone watched, ready to jump if she fell, as she slowly limped over to the counter and sat down. "That...That shouldn't be possible." Cyborg dropped his pizza in awe as she reached for a box of pepperoni and started eating. "Told you guys." Robin grinned and sat down next to her. "Hey Robin, there's somewhere I'd like to go today." "Hm? Where?" "I wanna go to Gotham." He looked at her curiously. "What for?" "My mom has a security deposit box there. I'd like to see whats in it." He nodded. "I remember. Alright. I'll call Batman and see if he's doing anything. Maybe we can stay with him." She nodded and grabbed a second slice. "Rebecca, why did your mother choose Gotham City to place her box?" Starfire asked and set down her mustard and pickle pizza. "She didn't choose Gotham Star, It's just where we were. I was born in Gotham." "Truly?" She nodded. "I think I'd like to go back and see how things are there. Maybe... visit some old friends." "Oh this visit sounds wonderful, may I join you?" Becca looked at Robin, who shrugged and swallowed his pizza. "As long as someones here to keep and eye on things. You guys think you can handle things while I'm gone?" "Yea no problem!" "Well be fine." Raven silently grabbed her cheese pizza and walked towards a corner, but before she could make it, the alarm sounded. Cyborg jumped up with half a pizza hanging out of his mouth. "Mmrufhmhm!" "What?" He swallowed it and yelled, "It's Slade!" Rebecca froze as the Titans all ran for the garage. No one noticed her pale face. "Stay here!" Robin yelled at her as he ran out the door, and soon she was alone. She quickly got up, and limped towards the couch where the remote was. She flipped through the channels and saw that they all were showing the same thing. "This is News Channel 16 reporting live from Bay Bridge, where a man wearing red and black armor is holding a little girl over the edge of the bridge. No one seems to know exactly who this little girl is, but local authorities say that the man holding her is Slade, and caution everyone in the city to stay away from the bridge. No one knows exactly what Slade is planning to- wait, we have a reporter who has managed to get in close to Slade." The screen changed to Slade, holding the girl by her jacket over the side of the bridge. "Titans!" He yelled. "Try to save her now!" and he let go of the girl.


	10. Chapter 10

There was no way the Titans would get there in time. Rebecca knew there was only one thing she could do. She stared at the TV screen and concentrated as hard as she could. Before she knew what was going on, the Living room disappeared. She was free falling, facing the water below. She heard a scream next to her and instinctively grabbed the little girl. "Hang on!" She yelled at the girl, and tried her best not to think of the water below. She landed with a thud on her butt back in the Titans Living room. "Where are we?" The girl sniffed and clung to her shirt. "Were in Titans Tower. Don't worry, you're ok now." The little girl sniffed again and wrapped her arms around Rebecca. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed. Rebecca gasped in the girls hug. This was too tight for a girl her age to do. "Hold on a second." She pried off the girls arms and stared in her eyes. Both were solid blue lights, no iris, pupil, anything. "Damn you Slade. I'm not a fool." The girl opened her mouth and a strange voice came out. "Well done Rebecca. I see you do have some skills." "What do you want?" "Simply reminding you that you only have 13 days left. Afterwards, my offer expires. And I don't give 2nd chances." Rebecca sighed and grabbed the robot by the arm and dragged it to the window. "I see you've learned to walk again." "Yea now lets see if your robot can fly." She hissed and threw it out the window. An hour later, the Titans returned, all eager to find out what happened to the girl. "It was a fake." "A fake?" "Yea, a robot." "Well, so was Slade. It fell apart right after it dropped her." "Why would Slade do that?" Rebecca shrugged and sat on the couch. "Well, whatever his plan is, well stop him." Rebecca shivered and reached for the remote. She thought about telling them about Slade, but knew it would be better if she kept his offer quiet. "Well guys, its Thursday. C'mon, time for training." Rebeccas ears perked a little, and she followed them outside. She'd never actually watched them train before and was interested in what they actually did. They all stood in a circle outside, like they were waiting for something. Soon, a large wave came towards the island, big enough to surf on, but not quite so large as to really hurt anyone. "Titans, go!"

They all faced the water and split apart to different sections of the wave. Starfire shot a starbolt through the wave, and flew through the hole before it could close up. Beast Boy morphed into a shark and swam through it, while Robin and Cyborg blasted through. Raven used her dark energy to split the wave as it went past her. Once they were all behind it, the turned around and waited. Beast Boy leaped out of the wave, and morphed into a bird. Everyone else sent something towards it, and blew it up. All this was done in only a few seconds. When they'd finished, no wave remained. "Phase 2!" Robin yelled. Starfire shot several more star bolts, this time into the ground before taking off into the air. Cyborg aimed his cannon at the flying rocks while Robin aimed his birdrangs. Beast Boy took off after Starfire as a falcon. It was all exciting. The rocks exploded and Raven caught them before they fell into the ground while the airborne chase continued. Rebecca watched them train for an hour until they finally stopped. Everyone was out of breath except for Robin, who looked up at Rebecca and smiled. "Pretty cool hu?" She nodded and went back inside. "Beast Boy, good choice with the falcon." "Yea, I figured they'd be better at flying cuz they're smaller." "And Raven, good timing with those beams. Next time though, try something bigger." She nodded as she plopped down on the ground and sighed. "Those beams get heavy." "Good job everyone. Go get some rest." "Whew man, I am BEAT! I'm going for a shower. Beast Boy morphed into an elephant and ran into the bay. He filled up his trunk and started splashing himself with water. "If that's his idea of a shower, I'm grateful my room isn't next to his." Raven watched him for a bit before finally standing up and following everyone else inside. Meanwhile, Rebecca was in the living room looking through her bag. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and slowly opened it. She sighed at the picture of a house, with a small bed of roses and a happy family in front. There was a mom, a dad, 2 boys, and a girl, and all of them were smiling at each other. "I know it's not my family, but sometimes I wish it was." She sighed, and folded the photo up again. Robin and Cyborg walked in with Starfire behind them. "Yo, Becca, how bout we try out that new game?" Rebecca quickly shoved her bag under the couch and smiled. "Robo-Sumo 2? Alright, another game I can kick your but at!" Cyborg glared at her as he handed her a controller and turned on the TV. "Hey Rebecca, Batman says hes free this weekend. We can stay with him if you still wanna go." "Ok. Thanks Robin." He nodded, and went off somewhere while Rebecca kicked some Cyborg butt.

Later on that day, Rebecca was outside sitting next to the bay. "When do you wanna go tomorrow?" She shrugged and tossed a rock into the water as Robin sat down. "Well, if we leave early enough, we can see your friends tomorrow." "Alright, sounds good." She tossed another rock. Robin sighed, and bluntly asked. "What did Slade tell you?" Rebecca froze and looked at him. She didn't want to lie, but she was too scared to tell him the truth. "Slade's not one to go through all that for no reason. What did he want?" "Nothing. He was just taunting you guys." Robin looked at her skeptically, but shrugged and tossed a rock. "So, why have you been so quiet lately? Is there something on your mind?" "No, not really. I've just been thinking..." "...About...?" "Just thinking. Like Gotham. I wonder how much it's changed since I was there." "Probably a lot from what you remember." "Yea. And my friends. It'll be nice to actually say goodbye this time. I didn't get to before..." "I'm...sorry." She shrugged and stood up. "I'm gonna crash early tonight. Let's leave around 6:30." "Ok. I'll tell Star. Good night." "Good night Robin." She walked towards the door slowly. "Hey, Becca?" She turned around and watched him walk over to her. "You know you can tell me anything right? Whatever's troubling you, I'd like to help." She shook her head. "I'm fine Robin. Really." She smiled. "But thank you." He nodded, and walked inside to go talk to Starfire. She sighed and looked out over the bay. The stars twinkled dimly overhead, and the waves quietly broke on the shore just a few feet away from her. Her thoughts drifted to Gotham, her friends, the security box and its contents. Finally, she shook the thoughts out of her head, and went inside to sleep. The next morning, the air was buzzing with excitement, despite the early morning. Starfire, Robin, and Rebecca were all outside ready to go, with the rest of the Titans. Starfire would fly there while Robin and Rebecca took the bike. Rebecca grabbed her backpack and tossed it over her shoulders as she stepped towards Robin. "Ready?" She nodded. "Oh, hang on, I have something for you." Robin ran back inside quickly, and returned holding 2 helmets. One, she recognized as his, but the other was black with a pale blue falcon on each side. "This is yours. I figured you could use one." She grinned as he handed it to her and slipped it on. "Do you like it?" "I love it! Thank you Robin!" She hugged him tightly before jumping onto the bike and starting the engine. "Hey! Hold on!" He leaped on in front of her. "You can drive when we're halfway there." Rebecca huffed and scooted back, making room for Robin to get in front of her. He slipped on his helmet and revved the engine. Robin to Starfire? Can you hear me? Loud and Clear Robin. Alright, lets go. Robin circled around the last titans before speeding off. Soon, the tower disappeared under the horizon.

Hey Robin? Rebecca yelled over the bike. Robin flinched. "You don't have to yell, I can hear you through the mic in your helmet." A speaker by her ear told her. "Oh, sorry. How far is Gotham?" "Only a couple of hours. Well be there soon." She nodded, and hung on tight. She looked over to her right, where the sun was starting to rise. The stars were slowly disappearing, one by one, while the dark sky light up with bright pink and orange colors. "Pretty, isnt it?" Robin nodded. "Hey, Becca, do you know exactly whats in the security box?" "Some of it yes. Like one's a painting of my Great-grandfather when he was my age. There's a necklace in there from Spain. That's about all I can remember." "Cool. Are you going to bring anything back to the tower?" "No. I think Ill leave it all there where its safe. I'd just like to take a look and see what's in there." "Ok." Neither of them spoke for most of the ride. They stopped only to give Starfire some rest twice. At about 8:45, they could see Gotham's skyscrapers. "Wow...I forgot how big the buildings were." "Yea. It's nice being home, isn't it?" She nodded. Suddenly, Robin made a hard left turn, almost throwing Rebecca off the bike. "Hang on, this is gonna get a little rough." He warned her. Starfire moved behind them as Robin sped up. They went off the road and into a forest. "Stay close Star, it's gonna be fast." "Roger." "Whats gonna be fast?" Rebecca asked. Robin didn't answer. He was too busy concentrating on his timing. "Where is that tree...did he move it?" He muttered out loud. "There! Hang on!" Rebecca obeyed and grabbed Robin tightly, almost predicting his thoughts. He slammed his foot against the tree as they drove by and sped up as fast as the bike could go. The forest around them became a green and brown blurr. "Starfire, move ahead!" Robin commanded. Star flew in front of them, almost like a guard as the forest disappeared. Rebecca wasn't quite sure what was happening until it was too late. For a minute, it felt like they were flying, until she looked down, and realized they were. Robin had driven them off of a cliff. But, before she had time to scream, she was surrounded by darkness. Robin floored the brakes, squealing the tires and sliding to a stop, while Starfire landed gently next to them. "Where are we?" Rebecca asked. It was too dark to see, but she could tell Robin was smiling. " The Batcave. Just be quiet, or well set off his alarm system."

"Robin." A deep voiced yelled. The lights flashed on, blinding them all. Rebecca bore through the pain for a minute and strained to see where the voice was coming from. "I thought I told you to use the front door." "Aw, but the back one is more fun." Robin stood up straight, still smiling. A tall man wearing a black suit and cape stepped forward. "It'd been years since she'd seen that figure, but knew it without a doubt: Batman. "A little early to be on patrol isnt it?" Robin jumped off the bike and walked towards him. "Not today. I've been looking for some info on joker. I've heard he's starting to recruit kids into his gang." "Kids? Why?" "Don't know, but it cant be good." Robin sighed and looked back towards Rebecca. "Alfred will show you around. I think Ill go with Batman for a bit. That alright with you girls?" Rebecca and Starfire nodded. "Please let us know if you require assistance." Starfire told them. Rebecca jumped off of Robins bike and set the stand. She watched in awe as a huge car, the Batmobile, came up from the ground. "We'll be back soon." Robin waved and jumped in after Batman. Seconds later, they were gone. "Hey Star? Who's Alfred?" "I am." Another voice made them jump. A Tall, skinny butler stood by some stairs in the back of the cave. "Good morning ladies. Might I suggest we leave the cave?" The girls both nodded and followed the butler into the door. The mansion itself was amazing. Even more than the cave. Beautiful artwork was everywhere, marble staircases spanned the main hall, each door had its own design carved into it letting the person know what room they were about to enter. The kitchen door had a cooking pot with swirls floating up; the bathroom had a showerhead with water pouring out, and so on. Alfred was kind enough not to give them the whole tour, and let them rest in the guest rooms. "If there's anything you require, please let me know." "I think we'll be fine. Thank you." Alfred bowed, and left Rebecca alone in her room. Rebecca plopped down on the bed and looked around. It was like her own little apartment. There was a mini fridge, a whole bathroom, a bed, a couch, a TV, a microwave, and a door that led to the other guest rooms. But nothing was more amazing than the bed. She laid down and felt like she was floating on a cloud. "Man, this is a lot better than a hospital bed and a couch." Starfire walked in, but Rebecca was too comfortable to sit up. "Friend, I see the room is to your liking?" "Stop that Star, you sound like Alfred. Have you ever been here before?" "No, but Robin has told me of his life here. There is supposed to be a pool somewhere in this building. Would you like to join me?" "Ah...no thanks Star. I think Ill take a nap." Starfire laughed at the look on Rebecca's face. "Very well. I shall see you again soon." And without another word, she left.

Rebecca sighed, and allowed her mind to drift a bit. She started thinking about her friends, and soon she was too restless to sleep. She set her bag down on the dresser and walked out of her room. She found Alfred tending to the garden close to the entrance of the manor. "Hey, Alfred? How far away is 17th street and James Brooke?" "James Brooke? I would say roughly 20 miles. Might I ask why you would like to know this miss?" "My friends are on that street. I was hoping to go visit them." Alfred stopped and looked at her curiously. "James Brooke? Are you sure they live there? Perhaps they moved?" "No. I'm sure. Thanks Alfred." She waved, and walked out of the gate. "Miss, shouldn't you wait for Master Dick?" "Let him know where I'm at. I'll meet him there!" She yelled and waved again. An hour later, Robin walked into the kitchen, where Alfred was making snacks. "Are those your famous sandwiches Alfred?" "Why yes they are. I'm surprised you remember them." "Why wouldn't I? I used to eat 20 of these every day." Robin snatched one and shoveled it down in 3 seconds flat. Alfred smiled at him. "You never did learn manners from me." "Yea, that was all Bruce, wasn't it?" Alfred nodded, and suddenly stopped. "Your friend, the human one. She went to see her friends. Already? Do you know where?" Alfred nodded. "She asked me where 17th street and James Brooke was sir." "James Brooke? Are you sure?" "Very sir." Robin thought for a second before jumping off his chair. "I'll be back in a while Alfred." "Please be careful sir." And soon, Robin was running towards Rebecca.


	11. Chapter 11

Meanwhile, Rebecca stepped off the rail, and sighed. "James Brooke. No turning back now." She looked around, and found the place she was looking for. She stepped through the gate, and onto the soft grass. She didn't know exactly where her friends were, but it didn't take long to find them. All 4 of them were lying next to one another. Each one was different, but there was no mistaking them. Jimmy, Brianna, Jesse, Aaron. She sighed. "I knew I'd never see you again." She sat down on the grass, and waited. Soon, Robin found her sitting on the ground. He walked towards her slowly. "I'm sorry." "Why? You didn't do this." "I know, but I also know how much this must hurt." He sat down next to her and sighed. "How come you didn't tell me they were here?" "Would it have mattered?" "No but still..." "Robin, I don't want your sympathy. I came here for 2 reasons. One was because I'm curious about whats in the security deposit box. Two is because...I just wanted a chance to say good bye. I didn't get that last time." Robin looked at her for a moment, and then finally decided to stand up. "I'll wait for you at the entrance. Take all the time you need." And he walked off. Rebecca sighed and stared intently at each tombstone. She decided to start at the beginning. "I should've said this all a long time ago. I'm sorry it took so long to come back. He's finally in jail." She stopped. "But he should be 6 feet under with you guys." She turned to the first grave. "Jimmy. I know we didn't know each other very long, and I wasn't very nice to you at first. But I really regret not being closer to you. Those nerdy glasses you always wore, I remember using them to fry ants during recess with you. And you always gave me your desert at lunch because my mom never remembered to pack one for me. Thanks pal." To the next. "Brianna. I still miss how you used to braid my hair while the teacher read out loud. I tried a while ago, but I just couldn't get it right. Not like you did anyway. Man...You always smelled like flowers. You told me once it was because your mom was a gardener, but I saw that perfume in your back pack." Rebecca smirked a little. "I know you were just trying to be nice, but if you smelled like a sewer, I would've just held my breath. You were a great friend though. I still miss you." The next. "Jesse, I'm sorry I called you a boy. It's just with those overalls and that short hair I really thought you were...Plus you were a MAJOR tomboy, remember? The guys wouldn't let you play football with them because you were too rough. I still remembered when they banished you from the football field. You were suspended from school that day for beating up the whole pee-wee team." Rebecca smiled, and laughed. "I still use that move you taught me. Where you grab the persons arm and kick them in the side. I tried using it on Niero once but-" She stopped and shook her head. "I think I'll miss you most. You showed me how to be myself, no matter how others made fun of me. You were my best friend." Finally, the last one. "Aaron. I didn't like you, I admit it. And I know you didn't like me either." She stood up with fists clenched. "You teased me so much, I would be sent home early because I couldn't stop crying. Even after they switched my class you were still an evil little bitch." Rebecca relaxed a little, and sighed. "But, I know what Niero did to you. No one deserved that. I'm sorry he came after you." She stepped back and looked at all of them. "I'm...so sorry. I didn't know he'd come after you. All of you I'm just...So sorry." She clenched her fist again and choked back her tears. "It's my fault you're not here to greet me today. If I hadn't lost control you'd all still be here." She finally couldn't take it anymore. Several tears rolled down her cheek, and she fell to her knees. "I'd give anything to bring you guys back. I would. All of you. Even" "Rebecca?"

She jumped around and saw a sad couple holding flowers. "It really is you isn't it?" "You're...Jesses Parents." They both nodded. "We come here every week." The dad stepped forward and laid down the flowers on the grave. Rebecca couldn't speak. She had no idea what to say to them. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen." The Mom stood there frozen, staring at her daughter's best friend. Before Rebecca could do anything, the Mom raised a hand, and slapped her across the face. "I want my daughter back." She hissed. Rebecca stood there. She stopped crying, and just stood there. "So do I..." Soon, the Dad took the Mom by her hand, and led her away. Rebecca couldn't take it anymore. She ran for the fence, and climbed over it, not wanting Robin to see her like this. She choked, and kept running. She didn't stop running until she couldn't anymore. She finally collapsed on the sidewalk and gasped for air. She looked around and became very confused. She knew instinctively where she was, but nothing looked the same anymore. What was once a quiet neighborhood with children playing and small houses was now a dump. The cramped building were all condemned and covered in graffiti. Rebecca caught her breath and stood up. The sun was starting to set, letting Rebecca know that things would get rough soon if she didn't get moving. She turned, and froze in her place. Nothing prepared her for what she was seeing now.

Blackened ruins surrounded by a white picket fence. She stepped closer to the fence, and hopped over it for a closer look at the ruins. It was obvious that fire had destroyed this place, but as she continued looking, she realized that the fire was merciless. Nothing remained that was intact or colored. It was all black and ash. Rebecca felt like crying again, but a familiar voice made her jump. "Rebecca! Friend!" Starfire landed on the other side of the fence. "Why did you run from Robin? We have been very worried." "I'm sorry Star. I just couldn't stand being there anymore." "What happened? Robin said he saw other people with you looking sad." "He saw that?" She nodded. Rebecca looked out over the ruins before returning to the other side of the fence. "You know, this used to be a nice neighborhood." Starfire looked around at the grungy area, then back at Rebecca with disbelief. "Truly?" "Truly. And these ruins here were a nice little house. Pale blue paint and a little flower bed right over in that corner." "What happened to this place?" Rebecca sighed. "The woman who lived here broke up with her boyfriend, and he went crazy. He tried to get her to take him back, but she wouldn't have it. So, he decided to hurt people until she gave in." Starfires face softened. "Yea, he found 4 of her daughter's friends and killed them in front of their families. When the mom heard about it, she took her daughter and ran. As far and as fast as they both could. Soon after, they boyfriend burned down this house, so they wouldn't have anything to come back to." Starfire didn't say anything at first. She finally understood the story. "This was your home."

"Was. It's just a pile of ruins now." "I am sorry." Rebecca shrugged. "It's getting late. We should head back to the manor." They didn't make it back until late that evening. Rebecca went straight for the guestroom, hoping her dreams would be more comforting than her day had been. Robin and Starfire, however, stood up for another hour discussing what had happened to Rebecca. Soon, they'd both told each other what they knew, and Starfire asked Robin a rather random question. "Robin, I must ask you. Do you believe Rebecca will stay with us and become a Titan?" Rebecca opened her eyes and listened more closely to their conversation. She heard Robin sigh. "I really don't know. She'd make a great Titan, but...She just needs control first. For her powers and her temper." Rebecca suddenly felt like she'd been struck by lightning. "Raven. Maybe she can help me. I'll ask her when we get back." She grinned and looked over at the door to the next room. The light had been turned off, meaning Robin and Starfire were finally going to bed. Rebecca grinned at her brilliant plan, and fell asleep. "Rebecca? My friend please, wake up." Rebecca groaned and rolled over. She was simply too comfortable to get up yet. "Rebecca please, the sun has been awake for many hours." "Come back in another hour Star." "But soon, the deposit box place will close. Please get up before it's too late." Rebecca finally sat up and stretched. "What time is?" "Almost 3." "Really? I slept that long?" "Yes. We were beginning to wonder if you were alright." Rebecca yawned and grinned at Starfire, remembering her plan from last night. "I'm great Star. Tell Robin I'll be up in a few minutes." "Very well." She walked towards the door, but stopped and looked back at Rebecca, who was finally standing up. "Friend, are you ok? Yesterday was...not a pleasant day for you." "I know Star, but I'm fine. Really. I did what I came here to do, and I have no regrets. I'll be down in a few minutes ok?" Starfire nodded, and gave Rebecca some privacy while she washed up and changed her clothes. Instead of her normal tank top and baggy jeans, she decided to wear something a little nicer today. She put on a long-sleeved red shirt and some black jeans that actually fit her. When she went down, everyone noticed the change. "Friend, where did you get those clothes?" "I've always had these, but my other clothes are more comfy. These jeans can get a little tight." She grunted and pulled on the sides, hoping to get more room. Alfred and another tall man stood behind Robin. It didn't take Rebecca long to realize who the tall man was. "Mr. Wayne? Is Batman?" The tall guy seemed to twitch a little, but nodded. "You're a friend of Robin's, so I trust you'll keep this quiet." She nodded, and stared at him. She remembered seeing him on the news when she was little, but nothing compared to an in person introduction. He had short black hair and wore a neat suit and tie. Rebecca could see by the bulges of the suit that he was buff, and his deep voice almost frightened her, but for some reason, he grinned. He really did seem like 2 different people. One playful billionaire who plays dress up at night, and one serious businessman who takes crime seriously. "Alfred has offered to take us there." Rebecca nodded "Lets go before they close." Robin started walking with Starfire and Alfred following him. "Are you coming?" She asked Wayne. He nodded. "Robin asked me to." "Why?" "In case you run off again." Rebecca shook her head. "You probably heard what happened. Do you blame me?" He shook his head. "No, but why did you hop the fence instead of just running past him? It would've been easier for him to follow you." "I didn't want him to." "Why not?" "I didn't want him to see me like that. It wasn't exactly a good moment for me." "Hey you guys comming?" "Yea." She turned back followed Robin to the car.

The building was small, and dull. Alfred opened the door, letting Rebecca free from between Robin and Starfire. "Your backseat is a little cramped Mr. Wayne." He shrugged. "I never noticed. Although usually I'm back there alone." "Really? The billionaire Wayne's never had a girl in the back seat with him?" His face went pale, and he quickly walked inside. "He doesn't like talking about things like that." Robin whispered to her. "He has trouble with women." "Why? Wouldn't any girl want to date him?" "Yea, but he always has to leave in the middle of dates. Plus he's secretive and isn't around much. It gets them pretty mad." He whispered back. They walked in and found Wayne sitting on a bench, with people all around staring at him. The building matched the outside, dull and grey, except for a red curtain Rebecca assumed lead to the boxes. Rebecca clutched the key in her pocket tightly and walked up to the front desk. "Name?" A whiny voice asked her. Rebecca leaned over the desk a bit to see an old woman filing her nails. She wore pink horn-rimmed glasses with an outfit to match. "I'm here to look at my box." The woman stopped filing for a second and stared at her. "No kidding? You and 20 other people here. What's your name?" "Rebecca McKennit." She set the file down and started typing on her computer. "Nope, sorry." "Try Elear McKennit. She's my mother." "I'm sorry; I cannot allow you to see another persons box contents without a reason." "But, wait-" "Excuse me miss." Mr. Wayne stepped up to the desk and smiled. The old woman dropped her file again. "This young lady's mother passed away a while ago, and she would like to see the contents of her box." "Uh, of course. Let me see." She typed on her computer again. "Yes, I have an Elear McKennit. She placed a Rebecca as an inheritor if something should happen." "Yea, thats me." She glanced up at Wayne, and smiled gratefully. "Very well, do you have the key?" "Here." She pulled out the key and showed it to the woman. The woman motioned for Rebecca to follow her. She put up a sign on the desk and walked over towards the curtain. "Sorry, but only the owner can see the contents." She looked at Robin and Starfire. "But, we're her friends." "Don't worry. I'll bring back something nice." Rebecca waved to them, and followed the woman behind the curtain.


	12. Chapter 12

"You know, I remember your mother." "You do?" "Yea. I've worked here for 30 years and I've never seen anything like the stuff your mother brought in, or even as much stuff. We had to get a whole new box made just for all of it, but it was worth it." They walked through a hallway of metal walls with small handles, and down some stairs to a large slab of metal with a key hole, but no handle. "There's cameras in the hallways, so don't try anything funny. Let me know what you take out so I can chart it. Take as much time as you need, but don't take forever. There are people waiting." "Ok." The woman walked off, back towards the main room, leaving Rebecca alone in the hall way. The door was completely flat, no handles, no hinges, nothing except for a small keyhole. Rebecca slowly inserted the key, and turned it. She jumped when the door hissed, and the whole thing seemed to take a step back and slide to the side, like a door from star trek or something, revealing a whole mountain of jewels, paintings, chests, furniture, papers, old quills, just tons of beautiful treasures filling the room so much, Rebecca wasn't sure if she could even walk in without crushing something. She took one step in, surrounding herself with beauty she never thought she could see in one lifetime. Over to her left, a chest was over-flowing with gold coins and pearls, but sitting on top of it was what caught her eye. Sitting on top was a dark red-wooden box. Just a simple box with carvings of leaves. Rebecca stood on her tip-toes and slowly meandered her way across the gold and jewels towards the box. She sat down on a nearby chair and reached for the box. It was a little heavy, forcing her to hold it with 2 hands, but she was surprised when she opened it to see only 2 little books. One had old, leather covering, and had a crest imprinted in gold on the cover.

Rebecca picked it up and began flipping through pages. The book was full, front to back, of pictures, descriptions, and dates of everything that was in the room. Rebecca looked through it in awe of the sheer amount and beauty of all the, no, all of HER treasure. She then glanced at the second book. It was a plain red book with a hard cover. She opened it up, and began to read. May 14, 1985 Dad took me out to the woods today. He said he was going to give me my 13th birthday present. I didn't know he meant the Kelar. If I had known...I don't think I would've gone with him. He took me to a clearing and put both his hands on my shoulder. It was so strange. And cold. I felt like I was stealing his very soul from him. Even now it still feels like there's something crawling under my skin, and I just can't get it out. He said that would go away soon. She stopped reading, and noticed a large gap in the pages. When she flipped to them, a large chunk of pages had been torn out right before the last entry. June 13, 1998 Ever since I broke up with Niero, he's been going crazy trying to get Rebecca back. I've caught him hanging around her school, and started walking her to the classroom t make sure nothing happens. But today...Something very bad happened. Linda, her friend's mom called me asking about her father. Before I could ask why, the phone died. Just died on me. I tried calling back, but it was disconnected. I'm too scared to think what could've happened, but somehow...i think I already know what has happened. I've decided to take her away from here. With any luck, he won't follow us. We're moving to Kinford. I don't have the heart to tell her why. At least, not now. I hope she'll understand why I'm doing this. At least, someday I hope so. She closed the book and sighed. "Mom's diary. I remember it. She wrote in it every day. But why are-" "HEEEYYY!" Someone yelled. "Could you hurry it up? There are still people waiting!" Before she realized what she was doing, Rebecca was standing infront of the desk holding the small box. "I'm taking this." "Alright, just sign his form here and date it." "Hey, what is it?" Rebecca shook her head. "I'll show you when we get back to the tower, I want everyone to see at once." Robin nodded, and led the way back to the car.

They went back to the manor, packed up their things, and waved good bye to Wayne and Alfred. They made it back to the tower that evening. Rebecca jumped off Robin's bike and ran to the living room, where Best Boy and Cyborg were playing video games. "Hey! You're back!" Beast Boy yelled and dropped the controller. "Bout time, I was staring to get bored kicking BB's butt." Cyborg grinned. Beast Boy jumped over the back of the couch and ran up to Rebecca. Before she knew what he was doing, he had her wrapped up in the tightest hug she's felt in ages. Even Raven stopped reading and watched the uncomfortable silence unfold. Finally, not sure what else to do, Rebecca wrapped her free arm around his back. "Good to see you BB." He finally let her go and smiled at her. "Hey, wha'd ja bring me?" "C'mon, I'll show you." He followed her back to the couch and sat down between Raven and Cyborg. Starfire flew in shortly after Rebecca, finally, everyone was gathered around. Rebecca sat down again, and took a deep breath.

"You guys wouldn't believe all the jewels and stuff I found in there. It was amazing! But I didn't think it was a good idea to take anything out yet, so I grabbed this box." "What's inside?" "I'll show you" She slowly opened up the box. She pulled out the book with the gold crest and slowly began flipping through the pages. After several minutes of "oohs" and "aahs" she closed the books "Geez Becca, I think you're richer then Bruce!" She smiled and shrugged. "Probably. The first page in this book says that vase is 200 years old. There's no telling how much some of these things are worth." "You shouldn't put a value on such priceless heirlooms. These are you family's treasures." She glanced over at Raven, who was still eyeing the elegant leaves carved into the box. "I know, I don't plan on selling any of them, it's just nice to know my family had an important role in history." "What about the other book? That red one?" Robin grabbed it from the box and handed it to Rebecca. She held onto it for a minute before flipping it open and reading a passage.

August 27th, 1985

Today was my first day of high school. I was so nervous, I thought about just spending the whole day hiding in my own locker. Sadly, my new friend Beth made sure I did. She's some senior who shoved me into my locker before classes even started. I was stuck in there until lunch. But I got her back. I got her good.

Dad said I shouldn't use the kelar unless it's a life or death thing, but the way I see it, what's the point of having a gift if I can't use it? While she was getting her food, I made her fall into the sloppy Joe meat. She was covered in cafeteria food from head to toe, then everyone started throwing their food at her and her friends. It was great! I had to get out of there before my side burst cuz I was laughing so hard!

Beast Boy had finally stopped laughing when she closed the book. Everyone else was smiling or chuckling. "Dude, whoever wrote this is a genius!" Rebecca shook her head. "BB, this is my Mom's diary. She used to write in it everyday for as long as I can remember." "Wait, Rebecca, there are many pages missing from you're mother's diary. What happened?" Starfire pointed. Rebecca shrugged. "I don't know. It looks like everything from her junior year to the last entry is gone. Someone must've torn them out." "Why though?" She shrugged again and placed the books back in the box. Starfire let out a loud yawn, letting everyone know how late it was. "Guess that means we should be getting to bed hu?" She nodded and waved as she floated drearily towards the door. Raven and Cyborg followed her, while beast Boy and Robin stayed behind for a few more minutes. Beast Boy gave Rebecca another hug, this one not as tight. "Night Rebecca." "Good Night BB." She patted his back, and stretched when he let her go. "Rebecca, I wanted to talk to you about the cemetery." Rebecca twitched, but didn't acknowledge the comment. Instead, she sat on the couch, and reached underneath for her blanket and pillow. "Becca, it wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it? I lost control in front of Niero. I told my Mom what he was making me do. I might as well have tied them up and handed them over."

"No. You were 2. Toddlers have temper tantrums all the time, it's normal-"

"And I'm obviously a normal teen right? That's why I'm in school, hanging out with my friends, getting grounded. Yea. The perfectly average life of the teenage freak."

"You're not a freak. You have a gift-"

"I have a curse."

"You think your mother cursed you?" That caught her off guard. "No. I just wish I knew...In her diary she didn't get her powers until she was 16. I got them the day I was born. Why?" She reached for the diary and flipped through it. "So many pages are missing. I wasn't even born yet for this last entry. It doesn't even mention my father." Rebecca felt her chest tightening, but she forced it down. She wouldn't cry in front of Robin. "Please go. I'm very tired."

"Rebecca...It's never been your fault."

"Please just go."

"You were young."

"That's no excuse."

"Please listen to me-"

"Get out Robin"

"Becca-"

"I said GO!" She screamed, and Robin froze. In an instant he flew up into the air, slammed against a wall, and fell to the ground like a limp ragdoll. "Robin? Oh god Robin!" Rebecca ran over to him, checked his pulse and screamed. "Somebody help! Robin needs help someone get in here now!"


	13. Chapter 13

"What happened?" "I...lost control. I yelled at him and he just flew into the wall." Cyborg nodded as he check his pulse, heart rate and examined his head. "Don't worry girl. He's gonna be ok. Got a nasty concussion, but he'll be on his feet in no time." She sighed, and slumped down into a chair. "Becca, don't beat yourself up over this kay? It's not your fault." She growled and stormed out of the room. "Hey, where you going?" "I'm sorry, I need to clear my head before someone else gets hurt. I'll be back CY. Look After him please?"

"7 days..." She thought to herself. "I can't seriously be thinking about this. I mean, he's a criminal. Can I really trust him to keep his word?"Rebecca shook her head and looked around. She'd been walking for hours now, and finally realized she'd long since left the city. Surrounding her was a large forest, seemingly empty. It was eerily silent, and the night sky didn't exactly help make things seem less creepy. "Guess I should head back." She sighed and turned, but before she could take another step, a sense crept into her mind. A small feeling that told her she wasn't alone. She closed her eyes, trying to figure out where the sense was coming from, but couldn't. "I know what you're doing." A voice called from the darkness. She jumped around, expecting to see a familiar shadowy figure, but instead only saw the trees. "You're trying to locate me using your powers." She turned again, but still only saw trees. "You shouldn't need your powers to do that. Concentrate on the sound of my voice." She felt rage growing in the pits of her stomach. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do." She turned again and noticed a much wider tree than the others.

"Bingo." She grinned deviously, and waved her hand towards the tree. It uprooted itself and floated in the air about 3 feet. Just enough to show Rebecca that she was wrong. "Try again Rebecca. This time, concentrate." She set the tree down and wheezed. It was much heavier than she expected. She continued to look around for his hiding place. "You coward." She yelled. "Why are you so afraid to show yourself?" "Who said anything about being scared? I'm right in front of your eyes. I've been there this whole time." Frustrated, Rebecca spun herself in a circle, causing every tree within a 10 foot radius of her to topple over. She fell to the ground gasping for breath as the dust began to settle. There was still no sign of Slade. "You wouldn't be so tired if you'd only listen to me. Concentrate Rebecca." She sighed, and finally gave in. Rebecca closed her eyes and concentrated on the area around her. A high-pitched beep quietly rang in her ears. Finally, she got her answer. She reached over her left shoulder and pulled off a small bug. "You were never here."

"Good. But you could be better." The speaker told her. "You depend too much on your gift. You cannot rely solely on it. You need to sharpen your senses as well as your mind."

"And I supposed you want to help me do that?" The speaker chuckled. "My dear child, you know I do."

"Why?"

"Because I hate seeing people waste their own potential, especially people like you. Your own gift gives you limitless possibilities, but you can't even begin to harness those possibilities on your own."

"And what if I don't want your help?" She asked, throwing the speaker to the ground. "What if I want the Titans to train me?" "My dear..."Rebecca turned and threw her fist at her tormentor, but not quickly enough. Slade caught her arm and tossed it aside. "You need MY help. Not theirs. I am the only one who can show you the full potential lurking inside your mind." "I don't believe you." She tried to punch him again, but once again was too slow. He caught her arm and held it tightly. "They can't help you Rebecca. No one can but me. I have the resources. I have the knowledge. I only need your cooperation."

"No." She tightened her fist and tried to punch him with her free hand. When he caught it, she opened her palm, forcing him backwards and into a tree. "Yes Rebecca, your anger is the trigger. Pull that trigger." Rebecca could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Every cell in her body told her to let go of her control. Let go of her rage and take care of him for good, but she resisted. She buried that rage back in the pits of her stomach and turned away from him. "I see you have been learning control." "The Titans are better teachers than you give them credit for." She hissed. Slade shook his head. "Fine, you still have 7 days left. Train with the Titans for now. The, when the week is up, I will see you at the fairgrounds." "No you won't." She screamed. Slade laughed at her, and soon, his presence disappeared from her mind.

She fell to the ground and took a deep breath. Her energy was drained. She knew she wouldn't be able to walk home. She sat on the ground, and thought about the Titans living room. She concentrated on it, trying to remember things like how the couch felt or the sound of the humming air conditioner. She felt her muscles relax when those memories became a reality. The lights were out in the living room, but the sun was beginning to rise. She knew it wouldn't be long until the Titans woke up and found her. She knew she should get some rest before then, but also knew she wouldn't be able to sleep wondering about Robin. She slowly stood up and made her way to the hospital room. Robin was lying on the bed sound asleep when she walked in. She sighed with relief and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Robin..." She whispered, not wanting to wake him. "I know you can't hear me, but I'm sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to hurt you,I just..." She shook her head, not sure what she meant to do. "I'm sorry." After a minute or so she yawned and leaned back in the chair.


	14. Chapter 14

"...Music?" She thought, and looked around. Everything around her was black, except for a small platform she was standing on. Sure enough, she could hear happy music playing from somewhere, but she couldn't seem to find out where. "Are you ready kiddo?" A figure appeared next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yea, I'm ready." She told the figure without ever meaning to. It was as though her body wasn't her own; rather she was just seeing what someone else was seeing. Someone else was talking. "OK, be careful on that front twist. Remember: this is the real thing. There isn't a net to catch you this time." "Don't worry Dad, I got this." She smiled. "Hey bro!" Another figure called to her. "You mess this up,I get your stuff!" "Hey, you touch my stuff; I'll come back and haunt you." She smiled, and instinctively reached for a bag. She chalked up her hands and grabbed a near-by bar that seemed to be floating in mid-air. "Honey," Another figured appeared, but this one was different. The last 2 were hidden in shadow, but this one wasn't. Rebecca could clearly see her mother's worried face peering at her. "Please be careful." "Don't worry Mom." She gave her a thumbs up, despite her uncontrollable urge to run over and hug her. "I got this everyone. Watch and be amazed." She grabbed the bar with both hands, and just as she leapt off the platform, she heard her mother scream. Her heart sank, but her body let go of the bars and flipped in mid-air. She reached out for a second bar, and grabbed it with one hand. She waited for applause, but realized there wasn't one. She swung over to a second platform and looked down. 3 lifeless forms were laying still in the darkness below her. Finally, her body and mind were in synch. She screamed, and opened her eyes.

Robin looked at her with a pale face, and smiled sheepishly. "You ok?" She nodded and sat up in the chair. "Robin, about last night-" "Don't. Let's just forget it." She nodded. "Robin, you were right. Something has been bothering me." Robin sat up a little, eager to listen to her. "You see, a while ago, I met-""Robin!" Starfire ran through the door and squeezed Robin tightly. Rebecca could see the color return to his face briefly, the drain again when she let him go. "Great joy! You are awake, we were all very worried!" "Thanks Star." He pulled off the blanket and stood up. "Robin...may I ask you a question?" "Shoot Star." "Um...Why does your face not look normal? You look like you have eaten too much of Beast Boy's false food." He chuckled and yawned loudly. "Don't worry Star, I just had trouble sleeping last night. Bad dream." Rebecca's ears perked a bit, but before she could ask, the rest of the Titans entered the room. "Good to see you up Rob, how'd you feel?" "I'd feel better if I had some food in me." Starfire gasped. "Robin is still unwell! I shall fetch the-" "No!" everyone yelled. "Starfire, I'm fine just a little hungry." "Don't worry Starfire." Beast Boy put an arm around her and gave her a thumbs up. "It's noting a little of Beast Boy's famous tofu and egg breakfast can't cure" He laughed and ran with Cyborg following him screaming something about real food. Raven put a hand on Robin's shoulder. They nodded at each other and she left with Starfire to get some breakfast. "So, Becca, what were you going to say?" "Your dream last night...was it at the circus?" He stared at her and nodded slowly. "How'd you-"She ran out the door after Raven before he could finish asking, hoping she wouldn't have to answer him yet.

"Raven!" She yelled down the hallway. She saw Raven and Starfire just in front of the living room door. Raven nodded at Starfire, telling her to go ahead to breakfast. "Raven, I need to ask you something." "You want me to help you train, right?" Rebecca smiled a little. She felt relieved at not having to actually ask. "Yes. You're the only person here who can help me." She nodded. "Fine. We will begin tomorrow." "Actually...I was hoping we could start today?" Raven raised an eyebrow, as though asking her why without ever saying it. "Last night, I had a weird dream. I was in a circus with my mom and 2 other people. They all fell and died. Then this morning I found out Robin had the same dream." Raven's eyes widened a little. She seemed worried, but didn't want to show it. "I don't think it was a coincidence." "Neither do I. We'll start after breakfast."She smiled and nodded gratefully as they both entered the living room.

Breakfast consisted of the classic eggs, bacon, waffles, and BB and Cyborg argument. The eternal battle between tofu and 'real food'. "Beast Boy! How many times do I have to tell you! Stop putting fake bacon on my plate!" "Dude, it's not FAKE it's just not meat!" "And bacon is made of meat; therefore your tofu is FAKE!" Raven rolled her eyes and set down her book. "Why don't you both just stick to your own food and stop forcing each other to eat it?" They stopped arguing for a second, looked at Raven like she was crazy, and then went back to arguing. Raven shook her head and picked up her book. She gave Rebecca s small sideways glance, letting her know it was time to start training. Rebecca quickly finished chewing and chugged the remaining juice in her glass before jumping up and following Raven to the roof.

"Alright, I believe I know what happened last night, but if I'm right that means your powers go beyond psychic." "Beyond psychic? How far beyond?" "Well, it means someday you'll be able to read minds." Rebecca looked at her surprised, but Raven shook her head. "Not a good thing. If you don't learn to control it quickly, your mind will begin to wander like it did last night. That dream you had was actually Robin's dream. You were in his mind. And the longer you stay in someone else's mind, the harder it is to separate yourself, and return to your own body." "Whoa whoa whoa...You mean if what happened last night happens again, I could be stuck in someone's body for good?" She nodded and sat down on the ground. Rebecca sat down in front of her, her hand trembling slightly. "Relax. You just need to focus on your own thoughts. Your own life. If you start to see things that aren't familiar, stop and think about something else." Rebecca nodded and watched as Raven closed her eyes. "I want you to close your eyes and meditate. Every once in a while I'm going to feed your mind something unfamiliar. The moment you notice it, think about something else." Rebecca nodded again and closed her eyes. She took a deep breathe and slowly began to drift away.


	15. Chapter 15

She felt her body become heavy, and soon she realized she wasn't at the tower anymore. She was sitting in the subway on a bench. She knew this place. It was the place her mom told her to wait at the night Robin had caught her. She looked around, half smiling at the familiar sights. There was a friendly bum, George, who sometimes would sing for people, or tell them old war stories. He could never decide which war he was in. One story would be from WW1, another would be from the gulf war. Today,he was hired by the CIA to bomb Japan back in 1982 when everyone thought Japan has more nukes than the US or Russia. She watched him stumble around for a bit, trying to get people to listen, until finally she became restless. She stood up and decided to get some air outside; she knew that when she went outside, she would hear noise above on the rooftops. When she looked up, she saw her mother leap over the gap with Robin on her heels. "No...I don't wanna go." She tried to think of something else, but her body instinctively followed them. She turned a corner, and suddenly found herself in a happy field, surrounded by flowering trees. She chuckled and looked around. "Raven," She yelled, "Give me more credit than this!" She smiled and shook her head. She started thinking about the tower, but for some reason, the field didn't disappear.

Instead, a woman in her mid twenties came walking towards her. There was a small boy at her heels, a baby in her arms, and the large belly told her she had a third on the way. She recognized the woman as her mother. But who was the boy? "Jason!" The woman yelled when the boy began to wander. "Come here Jason! Don't wander off!" "Mommy Mommy Look!" He pointed a a small doe off in the distance grazing. The woman smiled and slowly stepped closer to the boy, trying not to spook the deer. "Come Jason. We still have a while before we reach Grandpa's house." The boy cheered and ran ahead deeper into the trees. Rebecca, meanwhile, could only stand there, not sure what to think of what she just saw. Suddenly, her mother turned around as long tentacles replaced her arms Rebecca gasped, closed her eyes and concentrated on something else, but the thought of her mom with tentacles just wouldn't go away. "Raven!" She screamed, "Raven! Get me out of here!" Moments later, she opened her eyes to a cloudless sky with Raven sitting next to her. "Are you alright?" She asked in her monotone voice as though she already knew the answer. "Yea, I'm fine. What image were you trying to feed me?" "The tentacle one. Why?" Rebecca shook her head. "Nothing. I think I've had enough for today. I'll stay awake until everyone gets up tomorrow." She nodded. "We'll each take turns helping you. Until we get this under control, you're going to have to become nocturnal."Rebecca nodded and slowly stood up. "For now, it's time for dinner." Rebecca smiled and followed Raven downstairs.

That night, around 3am, Beast Boy was alone in the living room with Rebecca. Even though he was supposed to keep her awake, Rebecca had more trouble keeping him up. Eventually, she found him as a kitten curled up under the couch. Rebecca shook her head and left him there. "I guess it's...ah, up to me."She yawned and looked around for something quiet to help keep her awake. She tried playing video games with the tv on mute, but it just wasn't as fun without the loud crashes and Beast Boy and Cy's arguing. She tried looking for something to munch on, but in the end, all they had in the fridge was a plate of green fuzz she guessed was for Starfire. She finally plopped on the couch and sighed. She closed her eyes trying to think of something to do, until she felt her body get heavy...her breathing started to even out..."No" She jumped up and shook her head vigorously. "I can't afford to sleep now, I only have a few hours left." She looked down and remembered her mother's diary. She pulled it out of the box and began to read.

December 26, 1983

Dad took me to the woods behind grandma's house today. He said he was going to tell me the family secret. I followed him to a meadow. On the way he told me about kelar and the Myrian royal said that long ago there were 6 families who possesed special powers. Ryu family controlled fire, Shinzu controlled water, Etenu earth, Wyon light, and Russe wind. And the strongest family, the Myrians had different powers. They could see things with their mind noone could, so they were the leaders. Then one day, the other families rebelled against the Myrians, and made them leave. Then, after they couldn't decide who to lead now, they destroyed each other. At first, I thought it was just a story, then he stopped, and held out his hand, and a whole tree just jumped up and flew through the air! It was amazing! Dad told me we were the last of the Myrians, and that tomorrow he's going to pass the gift onto me.

"Rebecca?"She jumped and turned around to see Robin standing behind her. "Where's Beast Boy?" "Asleep under the couch." Robin shook his head. "Everyone's up. You can get some sleep now." She nodded, and reached under the couch to grab the small kitten. It mewed before jumping to the floor and morphing back into Beast Boy. "Sorry Becca." "It's alright BB." "Lets go Beast Boy. Becca needs some sleep." He nodded and smiled sleepily at her. "Sweet dreams Becca."

Rebecca yawned and opened her eyes, expecting to see sunlight. Instead, she blinked, unsusre if they were open or not. "Hey? Anyone there?" "Robin!" She turned and saw Batman wrestling with a clown. "Get out of here before this place collapses!" She looked up to see chunks of the ceiling falling before her eyes. The clown had managed to pin down Batman. Rebecca ran towards him, but was quickly blocked by a pieve of ceiling. She ran around it and tackled the clown before he could reach for a flower on his jacket. She ripped off the flower and punched the clown a couple times until he groaned and fell limp. "Let's go now!" Batman grabbed the cape on Rebecca's back and drug her out just before the building could collapse completely. They watched from a nearby rooftop as the police searched through the ruins. Batman glanced over at Rebecca. It took her a moment to realize what the look on his face was. Gratitude. "Let's go Robin." He fired off his grappling hook and flew off. "Robin? What- Oh no." Rebecca froze. She shook her head and tried thinking of something else. Her old house, her mom, anything, but the scene didn't change. "Robin wake up please!" She cried. Finally, darkness engulfed her. She looked around and saw a confused Robin staring at her. "Rebecca? What's going on?" "You're dreaming. And I kinda intruded. I'm sorry." "So, how come I'm not awake?" She shrugged. "I don't know. But I hope..." She felt something pulling on her. "Robin? Something's happening." "What?" Her leg slipped out from under her. She yelled and watched Robin dive for her hand. "Hold on Rebecca!" "Wait! Robin let go!" "What? No." "Just trust me let-"

She fell off the couch and heaved. Suddenly she looked around and saw Robin napping on the counter nearby. "Robin get up!" She yelled and shoved him out of his chair. But he didn't respond. "Becca?" She jumped. "What's going on?" She looked down to see Robin motion less on the floor, despite having clearly just heard his voice. "Rob...in?" "Yea." "Are you...in my head?" "I think so." "What's happening?" She bolted for Raven's room. Down the hallway, pounding on the door. "Raven! Something's wrong!"


	16. Chapter 16

AUTHORS NOTE:

This chapter has 2 parts, one in Rebecca's POV, the other in Robin's.

I didn't want anyone to kill me for portraying Robin as a jerk, so I decided to add his part to answer some important questions.

This is my favorite chapter, so ENJOY!

* * *

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes!"

"Then we're in trouble."

Raven paced around the bed quietly contemplating what to do. "Ask Raven what our choices are." Robin's voice requested. "What are our choices?" "Our choice so far seems...dangerous." "How?" "It would require me to bridge robin's body to your mind some how. I'm not exactly sure how." "So...what's going to happen?" Raven sighed and shook her head. "I really don't know anything right now. All I can tell you for sure is we have to get him back, and the sooner we do, the better." She motioned for Rebecca to sit down on the bed next to Robin. "Hold his hand or something. It should be easier if you're touching." She obeyed, and waited. Raven stood next to them, placing a hand on theirs. "Robin, listen to me. I need you to let go of Rebecca." Her arm twitched. She could feel Robin's uneasiness. "Both of you need to relax. Concentrate on your own thoughts, not his." Rebecca took a deep breath and began to concentrate.

"Robin?"

"Yea?"

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I wish everyone would stop saying that. If I could control myself-"

"Rebecca, powers or not you're still human. Accidents happen."

"I wish they wouldn't though. I wish there was a way..."

"Yea, I know."

It was a long time before Either of them moved. Raven finally let go of their hands and sighed. "Do you hear him anymore?" Rebecca waited, but shook her head. Glancing down at Robin's still form, she gave Raven a confused look. "It may be a while before he wakes up. Assuming it worked." "It didn't work?" "No. At least, I think it did. We won't know for sure until either you hear him again or he wakes up. All we can do now is wait." Rebecca nodded and noticed Raven's droopy eyes. "You should sleep. I'll let you know if anything happens." Raven nodded and quietly left the room.

Time passed slowly, but Rebecca never left Robin's room. Every now and then a Titan would come in and try to console her, but none of them really succeeded. "It's my fault he's like this. I got him into this mess, and somehow I'm going to make sure he gets out of it." Days later, Raven walked in. Rebecca jumped from surprise, then laid her head back against the chair. "Any change?" "No." Raven nodded and sat down on Robin's other side. "What's going through your mind right now?" "I'm wondering...if I'll ever get to see him wake up." "You will. don't worry." Rebecca shook her head. "How long has it been?" "5 days." Rebecca nodded and stood up. "I'm going out for a walk. I need...to clear my head a bit." Raven eyes her skeptically, but nodded. "I'll stay here until you get back." "Ok. If he wakes up while I'm gone, tell him...I'm sorry. For, well, everything." Raven looked confused, but nodded again and watched her leave.

Rebecca snuck into Raven's room and borrowed one of her capes before leaving the tower. She tied a bandana around her face and pulled up the hood before concentrating. Moments later, she turned and ducked behind a large stack of crates. "These them?" "Yea. Get'em inside. Make sure you put them outside the vault." "Got it." She waited until the fork lift began to back up before quietly sneaking inside on of the crates. She was cramped next to a large computer screen, but it worked. Several minutes later, the fork lift set her down outside the vault. She waited again, peaking outside the box to see what was going on. 2 guards walked out of the vault chatting merrily. She watched them close the door and enter the locking code. "4126" She repeated in her mind, patiently waiting for them to leave. When they did she peaked out of the crate again looking for cameras. Using her powers, she turned 3 of them to face the wall, and climbed out of the box. She opened the vault and looked around inside. In the very back, resting on a table surrounded by money was a computer chip no larger than the nail on her pinky. She took a step forward, then hesitated. "There's got to be another way. Anything." She thought. For several minutes she racked her brain trying to think of some other solution. But in the end there was none. She needed help, and staying with the Titans would only endanger them. Finally, she reached for the chip.

Suddenly a piercing scream echoed through the vault. The alarm. She turned for a moment to see the door beginning to close. She grabbed the chip and raced for the exit, barely making it out. "Freeze!" several guards were aiming for her. She waved her hand, sending them flying back against the far wall. She turned and thrust both of her hands towards the wall next to her. A loud crash sounded, and soon she was running down the street.

She finally stopped about 4 miles from the building. Her lungs were on fire and her legs were completely drained of their strength, but she managed to walk over to a wall and lean against it to catch her breath. "Don't move." A voice from the shadows commanded. Rebecca froze, not from fear, or the command, but from the sound of the voice. Robin stepped closer holding a defensive stance.  
"Whatever it is you've stolen, hand it over." She didn't move, still trying to catch her breath.  
"I said give it back you thief."  
"I'm not a thief!"  
She yelled without thinking. She clasped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Robins face fell like a ton of bricks.  
"Rebecca?" She stood up from the wall, and bolted for a nearby alley. Robin chased her through the alley, over a wall, up a fire escape, and finally trapped her on the roof of a radio station.  
"Rebecca, what are you doing?"  
"I'm doing what I have to."  
"Why would you have to steal something? What's going on?"  
She pulled down her hood and bandana and sighed heavily. "Slade...offered to help me. He said if I got this for him, he would train me."  
"What!?"  
"Robin I have to."  
"I don't believe you!"  
"What other choice do I have!"  
"You could stay and keep trying with Raven."  
"I've put you in that damned hospital bed twice this week, and myself several times. Who do I have to hurt next?"  
"No one. If you keep practicing."  
"Robin I can't stay. I'm not going to put my friends in danger anymore."  
They stood there staring at each other, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Robin's face had a mixed look of confusion, sorrow, and rage. He slowly pulled out his staff, and aimed it at Rebecca. "Please. Whatever it is just drop it now." Rebecca stared at him. Eyes welling up slowly. "I'm sorry Robin I can't." "And I can't let you get away with this." Rebecca closed her eyes trying to think of the fairgrounds, but a shove back stopped her. "How many times do I have to hurt you before you'll let me go?" "One more."

She waved, sending him flying back close to the edge of the roof. He landed catlike as she started running for the fire escape again. He tossed 3 disk just in front of her, blowing up the ladder just before she could reach it. He jumped and kicked her, but she caught his foot and threw him back against the radio tower. He climbed up the tower a bit before jumping off and bringing down his lance. The force behind it was too strong for Rebecca to block. It landed, and she fell hard. She laid on the ground trying to regain her bearings for a moment. "I'm not about to lose one of my friends to Slade. I'll drag you back to the tower and lock you up if I have to." "What's...stopping you then?" She grabbed his leg and yanked it out from under him. She quickly jumped to her feet and ran for the fire escape again. Robin threw more disks at the fire escape. Rebecca jumped back landing next to the radio tower just as he threw one more disk. It missed her but hit the leg of the tower. They both watched in horror as it swayed for a second before crashing down on top of her. "Rebecca!" Robin screamed and dove for her before the dust cleared. His communicator beeped before he could find her. "Robin! We need help ASAP! Killer Moths' gonna-" The screen went fuzzy. He looked around and finally saw her. A main support beam had her pinned down along with half the remains of the tower. She groaned and looked up at Robin with a pleading face. Robin glanced back at his communicator. "I'm sorry." He turned and fired his grappling hook.

"Robin?"

"No."

"...Slade."

"Yes."

"What are you..."

"You should have died back there. You are very lucky. "

"...Lucky."

"I saw what happened."

"Saw?"

"Yes. Between you and Robin. I must admit, even I think that was cold. To just leave and let you die like that."

"He...left me."

"But you're safe now. Rest Rebecca. As soon as you are well, we will begin your training."

"Training...Right. Thank you."

* * *

Hours before

"Robin?" Raven jumped as the once lifeless form groaned. She sighed, and quickly wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "It's good you're ok." "Thanks Raven." He smiled back. "Oh, Rebecca will want to know you're alright. I'll go-" Suddenly the alarm went off. "Looks like you've got perfect timing."

They raced to the living room where Cyborg was already explaining the situation. "Status?" "Rob? You're alright!" "Oh Thank goodness!" Starfire flew towards him tackling poor Robin to the ground. "Thanks Star, but we don't have time for this. What's going on?" "2 things at once. A robbery at the Pentium building and Killer Moth. He's attacking the juvenile detention center trying to bail out his girl." "Alright, Killer Moth is our main problem. Cyborg, take the others and go get him I'll take care of the robbery then come help you guys." They all nodded in agreement. "Ready? Titans, Go!"

Robin arrived just in time to see someone blow a hole in the wall and run. He tossed a tracking device on the crook as they ran off. He slowly followed, making sure to keep a fair distance until they stopped. "Alright, now's my chance. Whatever it is you've stolen, hand it over." The person froze. He smirked a bit to himself before stepping out of the shadows. He was careful to keep his distance, not sure what kind of powers or weapons this one might have. "I said give it back you thief." "I'm not a thief!"

Robin froze in place. There was no mistaking that tone or phrase. Yet he had to be sure. "Rebecca?" She stood up from the wall, and bolted for a nearby alley. Robin chased her through the alley, over a wall, up a fire escape, and finally trapped her on the roof of a radio station.

"Rebecca, what are you doing?"  
"I'm doing what I have to."  
"Why would you have to steal something? What's going on?"  
She pulled down her hood and bandana and sighed heavily. "Slade...offered to help me. He said if I got this for him, he would train me."  
"What!?"  
"Robin I have to"  
"I don't believe you!"  
"What other choice do I have!"  
"You could stay and keep trying with Raven."  
"I've put you in that damned hospital bed twice this week, and myself several times. Who do I have to hurt next?"  
"No one. If you keep practicing."  
"Robin I can't stay. I'm not going to put my friends in danger anymore."

They stood there staring at each other, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Her face seemed confident, but the tears in her eyes told him she was dying a little inside. His heart plummeted as he slowly pulled out his staff, and aimed it at Rebecca. "Please. Whatever it is just drop it now." Rebecca stared at him. "I'm sorry Robin I can't." "And I can't let you get away with this." She closed her eyes, but he knew better than to let them stay closed. He quickly ran up and shoved her gently, hoping it wouldn't start a fight. "How many times do I have to hurt you before you'll let me go?" "One more." She waved, sending him flying back close to the edge of the roof. He landed catlike as she started running for the fire escape again. He tossed 3 disk just in front of her, blowing up the ladder just before she could reach it. He jumped and kicked her, but she caught his foot and threw him back against the radio tower. He climbed up the tower a bit before jumping off and bringing down his lance. The force behind it was too strong for Rebecca to block. It landed, and she fell hard. Robin watched her struggle to breath. "I'm not about to lose one of my friends to Slade. I'll drag you back to the tower and lock you up if I have to." "What's...stopping you then?" She grabbed his leg and yanked it out from under him. She quickly jumped to her feet and ran for the fire escape again. Robin threw more disks at the fire escape. Rebecca jumped back landing next to the radio tower just as he threw one more disk. It missed her but hit the leg of the tower. They both watched in horror as it swayed for a second before crashing down on top of her.

"Rebecca!" Robin screamed and dove for her before the dust cleared. He began searching through the rubble, but before he could find her, his communicator beeped. He quickly flipped it open, hoping for some good news. "Robin! We need help ASAP! Killer Moths' gonna-" The screen went fuzzy. He looked around and finally saw her. A main support beam had her pinned down along with half the remains of the tower. She groaned and looked up at him with a pleading face. He knew he couldn't lift the beam on his own, he needed help. But could he really leave her like this? He glanced back at his communicator, and realized that staying with her wouldn't help anyone. "I'm sorry." He turned and fired his grappling hook.


	17. Chapter 17

8 months later

"Your anger is your weakness." Rebecca lunged for him, but he easily dodged. "But we will use it as your strength." She flipped behind him, but he kicked her in midair. "Think of all the people who have ever wronged you." Her mind drifted to Niero, and the day he discovered her powers. She felt her blood boil as she threw a punch at him. He dodged again, and hit her square in the jaw. "Think of all the times you've been left behind." The memory of Robin walking away while she was trapped surfaced. She felt her rage grow and threw another punch. It grazed his cheek, leaving him distracted from her kick. She nailed him right in the stomach, throwing him back a little. "Now, think of the one who abandoned you." That was the last straw. Rebecca felt her rage flood out of every pore in her body. She ran towards Slade fast as lightning, punching him so hard, the mask he wore shattered, revealing only computer components. She raised her hand high into the air along with the robot, and clenched her fist tight. Soon, the only thing left of the robot was a small pile of wires and cracked bits of metal. "Excellent." A shadow from behind applauded her. "Although, I wish you would be so hard on these training sessions. Your tools are getting…expensive." He watched as the parts fell into a large pile off in the corner. Rebecca sighed and gave him a slight smile. "Aren't you the one who told me money limited, but power is eternal?" "Yes, but the possession of money can be power. And since you are depleting me of my power, I have a mission for you tonight."

Rebecca followed Slade to a table in the far corner. A map and some blueprints had been scattered across the table. Slade move the blueprints aside and pointed to the map.  
The old steel mill down by the pier. It was my hideout long ago. Unfortunately a police raid forced me to change locations. I had to leave some valuable stuff there. I'd like you to retrieve them." He grabbed a folder and pulled out some photos. "Someone's moved in there, and I believe they found my old generator. Lucky for us, they don't know how to use it yet." The photos were of large men hauling in computers and desks, another of a bunch of nerdy looking people being herded inside, and one of a large man wearing a mink coat. "A Generator? What's so special about that?" "This isn't any generator. I created it." He grabbed the blueprints and showed her. "This generator creates accelerated electrons. They move 10X faster than normal electrons, which allows more power to be poured out than a normal generator. Unfortunately, machines weren't built to sustain such power." "I get it." Rebecca looked over the blueprints a bit. "If you hook it up the the city's main power grid, every machine from atms, TV's, cameras, everything would explode from the power surge." "Correct." Slade grinned. He seemed proud to have created such a device. "So...how com you've never used it?" His grin faded. "Unfortunately, I also use the city's main power grid. I haven't developed any tech that can support these electrons for myself." Rebecca chuckled to herself a bit. "The great Slade can't even use his own invention? How ironic..." Rebecca grinned for a moment before something hit her across her face. "You will not speak to me like that."

She walked into her room and jumped onto her bed. She sighed and laid there for a few minutes and stared at the ceiling. Her room wasn't much, but it was more than the couch the Titans let her sleep on. She had a real bed with a table, large mirror, and a lamp. That was all, but in the end, that's all she needed. She thought about life with the Titans. How they were always lecturing her, how uncomfortable that couch was, how no matter what she did she'd always get into trouble. Yet, for some reason, a tear rolled down the side of her cheek. She missed them. How angry Cyborg would get when she whipped him at video games, how her and Beast Boy used to race whenever they went out for pizza, Raven's poems, Starfire always asking questions about the simplest things. They were her friends and she…"Damn it they ditched me first." She swore and kicked her bed. "He left me. He just left me there to die. Damn you Robin." Her lamp flickered and her blanket rose. Rebecca quickly calmed down and stood. "Save it for later." Slade was standing in her doorway. "Come here. I have something for you." She followed him into the next room. It was his tech room, where Slade kept all of his inventions and stolen gear. Looking around the room, Rebecca realized just how intelligent Slade really was. He gave a literal meaning to the phrase 'evil genius'.

"Over here." He motioned towards the far wall. Rebecca looked up and smiled. In front of her was a sleek black suit with a long diagonal red stripe that stretched from the right shoulder to the left hip. "It's yours. Unless you don't want it." Rebecca shook her head and removed it from the wall. "Be careful. That suit is more than just clothing." He warned as she inspected a red button on the back of the right hand. She pushed it and lasers from each fingertip fired and singed the floor. "Cool." She grinned. Slade nodded and handed her a mask. It was more like a helmet than a mask. It covered the entire top portion of her head, from the bridge of her nose up. In the sides were ear plugs that fit snugly inside. "Small microphones allow us to communicate, along with tiny cameras near the front. I will see what you see, and be able to guide you." "Thank you." Rebecca bowed low. Slade walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Child, you mean more to me than you realize. Don't mess this up." She stood up and nodded before leaving to change. In 10 minutes, she left the building, and walked outside. "Ok, let's do this." She pictured themill in her mind and concentrated hard on it. A few second later, she opened her eyes and saw a new building in front of her. "It worked." She sighed from relief, and began looking around for an entrance.


	18. Chapter 18

Soon, she found an open window about 20 feet high on the building. "Your boots."A voice echoed in her ear. "The spikes on the bottom will help you climb." She nodded and noticed the near-by pipeline that ran down the side of the building. She grabbed the pipe and began to climb. The spikes were small, but sharp enough to pierce the wall and give her a good foot hold while she climbed. When she finally made it up the building, she climbed through the window and slowly crept across the walkway in front of her. About halfway across she stopped and lay down on the cat walk. Below her were 12 computers and 8 people typing away on them. 2 men were standing near a hot furnace in the corner, and next to them was a door. "Through there should be where I left the machine." "It seems they've already found it." She whispered as 3 men walked out of the door. One was a huge guy with a long mink coat and tons of bling. "Gangsters."The voice growled. "Posers" Rebecca grinned as she watched below. "I hear you gentlemen have new information for me? Who wants to go first?" The 8 people typing froze and looked and the big guy. One hand rose very slowly. "You sir." The scrawny guy stood up, his legs shaking so violently he had to hang onto the desk to stay upright. "Well sir, it's seems that the machine uses some form of iron solution to accelerate the electrons. I've almost figured out the rest of the solution." "Very good." The big guy smiled and looked around while the scrawny one sighed and fell back into his seat. "What about you ma'am? Have you found anything useful?" A young woman with short black hair stood, slightly more confidently than the last guy. "We've, uh, been testing what happens to certain metals when they are exposed to the electricity. So far, copper is the only one that will conduct it, the rest either melt or explode." "Excellent, now who else?" The woman sat as everyone looked around. No one said anything for a minute until the big guy grew restless. "You, in the corner there, what have you found?"

"Uh, well, uh sir." He stood up slowly, his long brown hair in a ponytail, while his thick glasses hung from a chain. He twitched nervously, and all he could seem to say was "Well, uh, I've been, uh, you see, well."

"Have you any new information for me?"

"Please, just give me a few minutes, I can figure out why only certain metals work." The big guy shook his head and motioned towards the 2 guards by the furnace. They ran and grabbed the poor man, and drug him kicking and screaming towards the furnace. Before Rebecca knew it, his screaming had gone, and the only sound she heard was the creek of the door closing in on him. "I have no uses for why things happen, I want to know what happens and how I can use this thing! I can't release you, so I suggest you come up with some good information here soon." He yelled at them, then turned around and walked back into the office. Rebecca laid there horrified at what she'd just seen. "Rebecca, focus. You mission is not to sympathize with them." "What will happen if we take the machine?" "He will probably kill them all, so they won't tell the cops where they've been." She clenched her fists. "We can't leave them here to die." "Rebecca, listen to me. Your mission is to get that machine, what happens to them is not your concern." "I can't leave them like this-" "You can!"The voice yelled into the mic. "And you will." Rebecca sighed. She remembered Robin leaving her to die. She couldn't do that to them. That kind of pain, that feeling that all hope was gone, and she was going to die…No one deserved that kind of pain. "I'll get the machine, but-" BOOM!

She whipped around to see a section of the wall explode. Everyone jumped up, and those with guns started firing them. "What is going on here?" The big guy burst out of the other room. The guns stopped, and the smoke cleared. Standing on the rubble were the last people Rebecca ever wanted to see. "Big James, It's times you and your thugs went to jail. Titans, Go!" Starfire and Robin flew towards The big guy, Big James, while Cyborg and Raven took out his thugs. "Everyone, follow me!" Beast Boy morphed into a dog and barked at all the people from the computers. "Now's your chance."It told her. Rebecca nodded and leaped off the cat walk. She ran towards the room, when Robin jumped in front of her. "You're not getting away from here." Rebecca growled and pointed her right hand at him. She fired the lasers and sent him flying into the wall before running through the door. "Now where?" " Down the stairs." She looked over and saw the stairs leading lower into the ground. She raced towards them, knowing that soon Robin would smash through the door and try to follow her. Right as she disappeared below, her prediction came true, and Robin chased after her down the stairs. "Freeze!" He yelled at her, but she didn't listen. She continued running down the stairs till she reached the bottom. "Left."She ran down the corridor with Robin still at her heels. Finally, she saw the generator sitting in the back of the tunnel. She stopped in front of it and faced Robin. "Who are you?" Robin asked as he pulled out his staff. "No one important to you." Rebecca growled. He froze, and stared at her wide eyed. "Rebecca, get back here now!"The voice commanded. Without hesitating, she put a hand on the generator, and soon, she was back home.

Meanwhile, Robin stood there, unable to do anything. "Robin! Robin, where did you go?" Voices called from the stairs. Starfire and Beast Boy ran through the tunnel and found him. "Hey dude, where've you been? We caught Big, but we can't find 5 of the scientists." "We did, however, find something disturbing." Robin looked at Starfire. Her eyes were welling up with tears. "There was…an arm. It was hanging on the door to the furnace. We think that Big James killed the other scientists." Robin looked over at Beast Boy, and knew she wasn't lying. "I'm not sure it was Big James who killed them." "What do you mean?" Robin sighed. "Rebecca was here." Starfire gasped. "Dude, really? Are you sure?" Yea, I'm sure. I recognize her voice. She teleported out of here with a generator." "Generator? The one James had them researching?" Robin nodded. "I think so. But why would she be working for a thug like James?" "Maybe it wasn't her? I mean…she left with Slade, right?" Robin thought for a moment. "Slade used this place a long time ago. Maybe he wanted to reclaim his territory?" Robin shook his head. "No, that doesn't sound like Slade, but then again…" Robin sighed an shook his head. "Let's go. There's nothing else we can do for now."

Rebecca collapsed on the floor and sighed. Teleporting was hard, let alone bringing a generator with her, but she didn't have time to think about how tired she was now. Slade was walking towards her, and she knew that look in his eyes. "Why did you speak to them?" "I...don't know." Bam! Rebecca was back on the floor with a sore jaw. "You foolish girl. They probably recognized your voice." "I'm sorry." "It's too late for that. Now they think I'm involved with those...thugs." Rebecca could see his muscles tensing. She braced herself, expecting another hit, but he kneeled next to her. "If you ever run into them again, you are not to speak to them. Understand?" She nodded, and watched him walk away towards the generator. "It looks like someone was trying to take it apart. There are pieces missing. I'm going out to find some more. You stay here." She stood up and nodded again. She watched Slade gather his things and finally head for the door. "Rebecca…I mean it. Stay here." "I will." And he slammed the door behind him. "Pfft. Yea right. You won't be back for at least 2 hours. What am I supposed to do till then?" The thought angrily to herself. She waited a few minutes to be sure he was gone before walking outside.

A couple miles away was an old tavern that had recently been re-opened as a bar. Rebecca knew this spot was popular with criminals because it was so new. She looked around the place for a minute, taking in every foul scent and every moldy looking sign before walking inside. Sure enough, as soon as she walked in at least 10 faces turned towards her. Some were familiar. Mumbo was there, but too busy trying to fix his broken wand to look up, along with the infamous Hive 5 kids. Rebecca walked over to the bar and sat down on a stool. "Minor?" The bartender asked. "No, I'm 80. What do you think?" "Sorry, no booze. Draws to much attention to this place." "Whatever, just gimmie some water." He nodded and walked down a few feet before returning with a clear glass. Rebecca sat there alone for a few minutes before someone took the stool next to her. "Lauger, dark." The bartender looked at the guy up and down. "Yea, I'm gonna need to see some ID." "If I wanted you to see my face, would I be wearing a mask?" "Still." He sighed. "Fine. Just a Coke." "Pepsi." "Whatever." The bartender walked off, and dropped of the glass a minute later.

"Don't worry, he tried to ID me too." Rebecca smirked.

"Really now? Don't blame him, you only look 12." Rebecca glared at him. "I'm 17 jerk." She hissed.

"I figured, I was trying to compliment you."

"Next time you should stick with something simple, like you're pretty, not calling me a child. "

"Fine. You're pretty."

"Thank you." She looked over at him and smiled. His uniform reminded her of Slade. All black except for a belt and a red X across his mask. "Got a name?" He asked her. Rebecca though for a minute. She knew it wasn't a good idea to give people her real name."Not one that I can give you." "So what do I call you? Besides pretty?" Rebecca shrugged and sipped her water. "Whatever." "Whatever hu? That's not very creative. Got any powers?" She grinned and glanced towards his glass. It slid over to her hand and starting floating in the air, allowing her to take a drink. "Elemental?" "Psychic." "Oh, impressive. Alright, Psybeam." "Psybeam?" "Yea, that's your new name." "Ok then, what's yours?" "Red X." Rebecca snickered. "And you say I'm not creative." "The name came with the suit alright. I didn't choose it." She looked at him skeptically. "How did that happen?" "I stole this suit from the Titans a while ago." Rebecca felt her anger rise. Red X picked up his glass for a drink, but it shattered in his hand. "Hey, watch it." Rebecca huffed and waved for the bartender. "Another drink for him, On me." The bartender nodded and yelled for someone to clean up the mess. They sat silently for a while, until Rebecca finally stood up. "I should be leaving." "Why? Things were just starting to liven up." He joked.

"Need a lift?"

"No thanks."

"Alright, I offered."

She reached into her pocket, placed a couple dollars on the bar, and walked out. She went to the side of the building, closed her eyes and concentrated on her room. And waited…and waited… and waited. Finally she opened them. "Damn, he's going to catch me if I don't-Whoa!" She yelled as something grabbed her from behind. "Either hop on, or I'll drop you!" Someone yelled. Rebecca opened her eyes again to see the ground below her moving quickly. Red X was holding her in one arm, and maneuvering the bike with another. She swung her leg around the other side of the bike and sat down behind him. "I thought I said I didn't want a ride?" 'If either of us did what we were told, would we be here now? Where am I going?" She shook her head in disapproval, but screamed. "Central and 5th, fast!" He turned the wheel, make a hard right, and drove off.

"Stop here." She told him. He obeyed, and pulled over to the sidewalk. "Do I get a thank you?" He asked as she hopped off. "No. You didn't listen to me." "So?" She sighed. "Fine. Thank you." "Aw, I was hoping to get something." "Like what?" "How bout a kiss?" "What?" He sat on his bike and leaned closer towards her. "C'mon, don't I deserve a kiss from a pretty girl?" Rebecca hesitated, "Cheek." "Lips." "Cheek or none at all." "Fine." He huffed and pulled up his mask halfway. Rebecca stepped closer, and leaned towards him, but at the last second, he turned his head towards her. She jumped back immediately and slapped him. "You asshole!" He laughed and pulled on his mask. "Thank you, Psybeam, for a fun night." "Why you little-" Rebecca lunged for him, but he zoomed off before she could grab him. "My first kiss. That stupid criminal stole my first kiss." She paused, and smiled before walking inside.

Rebecca peaked around the corner cautiously. "Where have you been?" She froze. Slade was working on something nearby. Tinkering away with what looked like a small cannon. "I just went for a walk." "I told you not to go anywhere." She stepped closer and kneeled, hoping it would make her appear more apologetic. "I'm sorry." He set the cannon down on a table, and walked towards her. He pulled her up by her collar and slapped her across the face. "Where did you go?" "Just around the block, not far." "Then why do you smell like smoke and alcohol?" "I…" He kicked her in the stomach sending her flying back against the far wall. "Don't you dare lie to me." She wheezed and tried to stand, "I went to a bar." "Who saw you?" "No one important." She gasped, trying to get her breath back. Slade shook his head. "You know better than to leave. Someone could've recognized you." "No one did! I was careful, no one knew me." "Then who followed you here?" Rebecca felt her heart stop. "What?" "I heard a motorcycle outside. Someone followed you here. Who?" She knew better than to tell him X gave her a ride, but also knew he'd see through any lie. She had to think fast. "I…don't know. I heard it, but when I looked-" A second kick suddenly made her fall. She coughed and wiped the blood from her lip, in too much pain to struggle when Slade grabbed her leg and began dragging her. "You will not leave again." She blinked, no sure if her eyes were open or not. "I'll let you out when I can trust you again." Suddenly she knew what was happening. She tried to stand, but her legs gave out. "Slade, Wait!" She screamed just as a door slammed shut and clicked locked. She was trapped in a room with no light, little sound, and no idea when Slade was going to let her out. She tried standing again, slowly, and looked around for the door. She eventually found the hinges, but there was no handle for her to pull it open. Soon, she tried something else. She concentrated on the fairgrounds, and took a deep breath, and- "AH!" she screamed again and fell. Electricity was somehow surging through her veins. He's watching me…She thought. "Slade! Let me out!" No reply. Eventually, she sat on the floor. "He's not letting me go." She sighed, and quietly waited to die.


	19. Chapter 19

"How long has it been Slade?" She yelled into the darkness. "2 days? 3? You gotta let me out sooner or-" A bright light shone from the door. It burned her skin and her eyes. She quickly crawled away from it. "3 days. Eat." Slade dropped something on the ground, and left. Rebecca fumbled around the spot where she heard the thing fall. It was an open can of spaghetti O's, most of which had spilled. She ate greedily, including the ones on the floor, knowing it would probably be a while before Slade was merciful again. A while later, he door opened again. Rebecca buried her face in her arms, trying to hide from the bright light. "You wish to escape?" "…Yes?" A hoarse voice replied. "Then go." She lifted her arm just enough to peek through an eye. Slade was standing next to the door, allowing her to walk out. She leaned against the wall, trying to stand, when her legs buckled. "I…can't. I'm too weak." "Here." She reached out blindly and found a phone. "Call someone who will help you." She tried to think of someone. Someone she could trust, but no one came to mind. Instead she set the phone on the ground. "Well?" "No one will help me." "Not true. Stand up again." "I can-" I said stand." A fierce voice commanded. Slowly, she tried again, but this time when her legs buckled, a strong hand caught her arms and held her up. "I am the only one who will help you. The only one who can help you. You are weak, and without me you are nothing, understand?" Slowly, she nodded. "If you want my help, you will obey me, understand?" She wanted to refuse, she wanted to fight back, but she knew she couldn't. She really was too weak. She needed help. "I understand Sla- " "Master." The grip on her arms tightened, nearly breaking them. "Master. I will obey." "Good."

Days rolled by, but time no longer seemed important. Rebecca's life revolved around training and missions. Slade forced her to only sleep 2 hours a day. Just enough for her body to rest, but her mind couldn't recuperate. They began and ended each session with a lesson on how feeble she was, and how much she needed Slade. And she accepted her fate. Finally, Slade trusted her enough to send her out again.

"I need you to do some surveillance for me." He pulled out a map of the city and pointed to the town square. "In a couple months, every elected official, every public servant, everyone who has some power over someone will gather in this square and celebrate the city's 50th anniversary. I need you to investigate this place for me. Look around for weaknesses, hiding spots, where they might post guards, what would safe to avoid, anything that might be useful to know." He handed her a small video camera. "Record everything with this, and then return to me." She nodded, and looked around for her suit. "Go in civilian clothes. It'll draw less attention. Just be careful who sees you." "Yes master." She bowed, and left.

"There," She zoomed in on a window high up on a nearby building. "It's a good lookout spot, so a guard will probably be posted there." She glanced around and moved the camera to a large tree to the left. "If no one prunes those branches, it'd be a great hiding spot." She sighed, took one last look around, and shut off the camera. "I think that's-" "Hey there." Rebecca pivoted in her right heel and swiftly kicked someone in the side of their head. Red X groaned and sat up form the ground. "What the hell was that for?" "Don't sneak up on me." She hissed and walked off. He followed her and blocked her path. "What? No apology?" "You scared me, you deserved it." "Not my fault you're paranoid." "Not my fault you snuck up on the wrong person." She brushed past him, but he still kept on her heels. "Geez, what made you so bitchy?" She turned and punched him square in the jaw. "I was in solitary confinement for 3 days, I haven't had more than 6 hours of sleep in 4 days, and you wanna know why I'm so bitchy? It's because you had to be an ass and give me a ride back!" "What?" "Sl- My boss heard you, he put me in solitary confinement and now he won't let me sleep, I can't eat, I can't even think anymore!" "I…I'm sorry." She looked up at him, and stared for a moment. It had been a long time since she heard that phrase, and X was the last person she expected t hear it from now. "Doesn't matter. I have to go." "If he treats you so bad why don't you leave?" She sighed. This answer had been drilled into her brain for several days now. "I need him. I'm too weak to do anything on my own." X chuckled. "My face says otherwise." She stared at him sadly, before closing her eyes, and teleporting back.

"What took you so long?" "I ran into some nosy kid, but I took care of him." Slade looked at her skeptically, but accepted it. "Rebecca handed him the recorder and turned to leave. "Rebecca." "Yes master." "You know what'll happen if I catch you lying to me again." "I would never do it again. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. You know me too well Master" He nodded, and turned his attention towards the camera.

Her next training session took place just after Slade had finished with the camera. "This time is going to be a bit different." Rebecca gave him a puzzled look. "You're going to fight me instead of the robots." She felt her arm twitch a little. The room suddenly felt very cold. "You've progressed farther than I anticipated. You need more of a challenge than any machine can give you. You need and opponent that can think ahead, plan, and deceive." He took his stance. Rebecca hesitated for a moment, before taking hers. She wondered if this was really a training session, or just an excuse for him to hurt her more. "Let's go." She nodded and lunged for him. He jumped up, and landed on her back, pinning her to the ground. "Remember, we live in a 3 dimensional world. There's forward, back, left and right, but also up and down." He lifted his foot and let her stand. She quickly rolled and stood, trying to regain her bearing, when he punched her again. "Never let your guard down. Even with an ally." "Never know when they'll betray you." Slade nodded in agreement, not noticing her hidden meaning. She jumped to her feet, and stood ready for his next attack. Her body was sore, but she stood firm. When Slade finally lunged again, she quickly jumped out of the way. He turned to follow her, reaching out to grab her. She knocked his hands aside and nailed him in the stomach. He chuckled a bit. "You're not strong enough to hurt me. Use your powers. Put as much force as you can behind every kick, every punch. The shorter the fight, the better off you will be when someone else attacks you." She nodded, and ran towards him. Slade tried to kick her legs out from under her, but she jumped. She concentrated on her feet, forcing them to move faster as she planted both of them in his chest. Slade stumbled back a bit from the force of the kick. "Good. Now boost your speed. Try to outrun me." He charged for her, and she charged straight for him. Her powers were pumping her legs for her as she sidestepped him and tripped him. Slade didn't have time to fall before she'd kicked him twice, and had him pinned to the ground. He heart was racing; her muscles tingled as she stared at her fallen master. "Stand up." Rebecca's muscles twitched in an attempt to obey, but she forced them not to move. "Rebecca…Stand, and let me up." She smiled and stared at the small river of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, Slade wriggled his arms free and shoved her off. He punched her spine, causing her to cry out in pain and fall to her knees. "Next time, I won't go so easy on you." He hissed, and walked into the next room.

Soon after, Rebecca was in her room, trying to clean her cuts when Slade tossed her the helmet from her suit. "Put it on." She looked at it and saw some new sensors all around the inside. "What's this?" "I added something. I need you to test it." "What did you-" "Put it on." She hesitated, but obeyed. Slowly, she slipped the helmet over her head. As she did, she could feel the same tingle in her muscles as she did before. It started in her neck until it worked its way down to her feet. Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through her skull. She clawed at it and screamed in agony. "Get it off! Get it off please!" "I can't do that." She tried to pry it off, but it tore at her skull causing even more pain. She screamed and tossed trying everything she could to remove it. Slowly, the pain began to numb. Rebecca rolled over with tears streaming down her face. "What did you do to me?" "That helmet stipends your powers. I can't have you overpowering me again." "What's the point? I'm here for training, how can I learn control if I can't even use my powers!" "You can still use them, but if the sensors in your helmet detect too much energy in your brain, you will feel the same pain." "Slade you bas-AH!" She lunged for him, only to end up on the floor at his feet. "I won't have my strongest weapon betraying me. Perhaps someday, when I can trust you, I'll remove it." And without another word he turned and left, locking the door behind him.

Rebecca no longer trained with Slade. When he needed her to go and run an errand, she would go, return, and stay in her room. It was weeks before she would speak again, while out on a mission.

"Rebecca, get back here. There's-" the speakers went fuzzy. Rebecca looked around and saw Red X holding a tiny switch in his hands. "EMP. Fry's all those gadgets on your head." She tried to smile at him, but the numbed pain in her head began to grow. "Can you…get it off?" "Is it stuck?" She shook her head, which was a bad idea. Her head began throbbing. "I think he fused it to my skull somehow." "Probably not then." She groaned. Her vision started getting blurry form the pain. Before she realized she'd fallen, X was holding her up. "Jesus, what's he done to you?" "The helmet. It blocks my powers. He didn't want me betraying him." "Damn, you really are something aren't you?" She shoved him away from her. She tried to concentrate on her room, but the pain was too distracting. "I have to…get back." "Why?" "The pain. He's the only one who can fix it. It hurts so much." X nodded, and swung her over his back. "This'll be a lot quieter than a bike." She didn't hear him. All she heard was a loud throbbing in her skull. The next thing she knew, Rebecca was lying on a table.


	20. Chapter 20

"How did this happen?" "Don't…know." "All of the circuits overloaded at the same time. That doesn't just happen. "Don't…know." The pain was becoming too much to bear. She began slipping in and out of consciousness. Suddenly, it was gone. She felt something familiar flow through her. Her powers. "This is my chance." She jumped off the table, but something grabbed her arm. She felt a small pinch, and was quickly overwhelmed by numbness. "I won't have my strongest weapon escaping form me." Slade laid her back on the table and started messing with the helmet. "Weapon? What happened to student?" "I've already taught you everything I know. Too much if you ask me." Her heart was pounding in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to run away and be free of him forever. Instead, she calmed down. "One more chip now. Then-" WHOOSH Slade turned around suddenly to see an empty table. He growled, swore, and threw the helmet across the room. In the end all he had left of her were the shattered pieces of her helmet.

Rebecca, meanwhile, landed with a loud thud in a park. The same one her powers had almost drowned that little boy so long ago. She lay on the cool grass for a minute. Slowly, the feeling in her body began to return. The sedative he had given was only a temporary one, designed to last just long enough to knock out the person. Finally, she sat up and sighed. "It's over." She smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever. A small twinge in the back of her skull made her reach back. She felt her hair, and something out of place. It was wet and very tender. It was a hole in her skull. She could feel where the helmet had burrowed into her head, just enough for her to feel the bone. "Damn you Slade..."

The next morning, Rebecca yawned and sat up slowly, feeling her arms and back pop back into place. She groaned, remembering how uncomfortable the ground is to sleep on. She sat up, and looked around. She'd slept next to a large garbage can, and now leaned against it. She looked up at the sky for a moment. The sun was up, but still fairly low, telling her it was still morning. "Now what?" She asked herself. "Can't go back to the titans. Can't go back to Slade. What's left for me here?" Her answer was a sad, yet resounding nothing. After some time in deep thought, she decided to go to Gotham , the only other home she'd ever know. She stood, and looked around for her bag. "Where do you think you're going?" She chuckled for a moment before facing Red X. "Someone's ballsy. Shouldn't criminals only come out at night?" "Hey, a guy can't live in darkness forever right?" Rebecca shrugged. "So…are you gonna thank me?" "For what?" "For helping you escape? Y'know, from Slade's evil clutches." Her arm twitched. Red noticed and took a step back. "How'd you know?" "C'mon Psybeam, give me a bit more credit then that." She shook her head. "You know who I was working for but you don't know my real name?" "Oh I know it." His cocky attitude was difficult not to laugh at. "I just like Psybeam more." "Fine thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm going home." "What? You can't go home, you're wanted for robbery. Besides, you don't even have a home do you?" "I mean I'm going to Gotham ." She hissed at him, and brushed past. "Wait wait, hold on!" X blocked her. "Before you go, how about thanking me properly?" She swung around and glared at X. "What did you just say?" "Geez! What do you think? I need your help with something." Rebecca felt her face flush a bit. "Help with what?" "A small heist I'm planning tonight. I figured, since you're on the market now, you could be my sidekick." Rebecca laughed and shook her head. "No." "Fine, partners." "No." "Teammate?" "Never picked you to be a team player." "I'm not. But I could use your help tonight." "Sorry, I don't steal." X stared at her incredulously for a moment before bursting out laughing. "What a load of shit! You're honestly telling me you worked for Slade and never stole ANYTHING?" She glared, and threw him back against the far wall with her powers. "Look punk, I'll tell you the same thing I told him, I'm not some criminal, and I have no intention of becoming one. I'll stand guard, I'll do recon, but I won't steal. Got it?" He nodded slowly. "All I need is a lookout, and someone who can take care of the guards." Rebecca sighed. "I don't know."

"C'mon Psybeam. I really need you." "Why me?" He chuckled. "I like you Psy. You're feisty." She smiled. "What's the plan?"

"Ready Psy?" "Ready." "Alright, take care of the guards outside." She moved the mic away from her mouth, and peaked from behind the tree. She saw 3 guards in front, and one on each side. She concentrated on each one, and suddenly, they were each launched into the air and thrown several miles away. When their cries finally faded, she moved her mic back. "They're gone." "Good. Now get to the roof and keep a lookout." She moved silently across the open area to a tree on the far back corner of the museum. She passed by 5 bright and colorful signs on the way there, and finally stopped to glance at one.

"We're stealing the eye of Ra?" She hissed into the microphone. "We? What happened to 'I'm not stealing anything?" "You know what I mean! X, this is on loan from the Egyptian government, people are going to freak!" "Not my fault they don't have better security. Now hurry up, I think I already tripped a silent alarm. I need you to take care of people before they show up and interrupt me." She huffed and started climbing the tree. It was just a couple feet shy of reaching the roof. She climbed to the very top, and jumped to the ledge. She managed to grab it and pull herself up onto the roof. "Wait for me up there. You can teleport us out, and that'll be it." "Of all the priceless crap in there, you plan to steal the one thing a whole country will hunt you down for?" "More fun that way. Besides, I thought girls like a bad boy." She rolled her eyes. "Doesn't do you any good if you're in jail." "That's why you're here. To make sure we get out. Hey, you're not having second thoughts on me are you?" "No." "Good." She sighed, and noticed a skylight in the middle of the roof. She slowly crept over to it and looked down. She could see X below her, manipulating his way through lasers. "I wonder what Mom would say about this." Her heart suddenly felt heavy. She hadn't thought about her mother in so long. "She'd probably kill me if she knew. Man, a year ago I would've stopped this, what happened to me?" She knew the answer to that already. "I guess, things changed more than I thought after…" "Hey Pys, you keeping a lookout?" "Yea, no one's coming." "Alright." She looked down again. X finally reached the Eye of Ra. She set a foot lightly on the glass to lean down for a closer look. A small crack appeared beneath her boot. Suddenly, a spark hit her brain. Do it! Her mind screamed. You would've done it a year ago without a doubt. Go for it! She smiled. Her own conscious was chastising her for even being there. Finally, she gave in. "Hey X?" "Is someone there?" "I'm sorry." "Sorry? For-" She shifted all her weight onto the glass, and fell through.

"My last heroic deed." She smiled on her way down. "I'm sure Mom would be thrilled." She landed on something that groaned and swore loudly when the alarm went off. "Psybeam what the hell?" "Let's get out of here!" She grabbed his hand and raced for the exit dragging him behind her. All of the artifacts and displays were suddenly cover in steel bars. They covered the windows and the rear exit, while a solid metal door closed in on the front exit. Red X threw some explosives at the door, but nothing happened. Rebecca turned towards a window and waved at the bars. They shuddered violently, but nothing else. "Try again." X yelled as he threw some more explosives, this time at the bars. They weakened and Rebecca was able to pull out the entire window. They jumped through just as the sirens pulled up. Several voices shouted "freeze", while hundreds of guns clicked, ready to fire at them. She grabbed his hand again and started running towards the back, when suddenly more cops pulled up in front of them, blocking their path. "Teleport us!" They started firing. Rebecca waved and sent the bullets back at them hitting on officer in the shoulder, but missing the others.

"It takes time for me to concentrate." X quickly tossed smoke bomb, giving her a few precious seconds. She concentrated, when suddenly something tore through her leg. She cried out and fell as the smoke slowly started disappearing. Red X quickly grabbed her around the waist and shot a grappling hook to the roof of the museum. He set her down and ran over to barricade the door to the roof. He pulled out a small laser and welded it shut. He jumped back when something suddenly rammed into it from the other side. "Now what…" She heard him whisper. He slowly walked over to the edge of the roof and peeked over. "We're surrounded." "I figured." "Can you get us out?" "My leg…it hurts too much." X shook his head and stared at her. Rebecca already knew what was coming. "I'm sorry about this." "Don't be. I'm the one who messed this up." "You're right. You should be the one apologizing." She glared at him, but couldn't help smiling. "You'd better go. That door won't last much longer." "What about you?" She shook her head. "I'll just slow you down. Besides, it's time I paid for my crimes." X chuckled halfheartedly. "A hero tills the end. What a shame." He glanced back at the door for a moment, before kneeling next to her and putting a hand over her eyes. "What are you-" She felt his face inches from her. Suddenly, his lips crashed into hers. All time seemed to stop, the noises fell silent, and for one precious moment, there was nothing else in the world except for them. The whole world stopped turning, and soon the moment turned into an eternity. Rebecca grabbed his arm, trying to keep him there as long as possible. In the end, she didn't feel him leave. All she felt was the emptiness of a broken heart.

Once the world started turning again, time seemed to speed up trying to catch up with itself. One moment, Rebecca was surrounded with a gun pointed at her from every direction, the next she was sitting on a hospital bed, being interrogated. "Where's Red X?" "I don't know." "The hell you don't tell us!" He slammed a fist on the machine that was monitoring her brainwaves. Half the hospital jumped and stared at them for a moment before continuing with their business. "Chad, relax. Leave her alone." The taller cop gently pushed his partner aside, and leaned in close to Rebecca. "Are you sure he didn't say anything to you? Anything at all? If you help us, I'll put in a good word for you at the precinct." Rebecca rolled her eyes and leaned away from him. "Good cop, bad cop. Aren't you boys a little old for games?" "Aren't you a little young to be stealing diamonds?" She short one snickered. Suddenly, his legs flew out from under him, causing him to fall face first onto the floor. He slowly stood up, groaning and assessing the damage to his face. He glared at her as blood began to gush from his nose. The taller one stared at her in horror. She grinned at him deviously before glaring at the short one. "Call me a criminal again." He glared back at her, but said nothing. The tall one reached over and pushed a button on the side of the bed. A nurse walked in, looking really scared when she saw the officer's bloody face. "Let us know when she's ready." She nodded, and waited for them to leave. She stepped towards Rebecca cautiously. "Don't worry I won't hurt you." She smiled politely. The nurse nodded, and stepped closer more confidently.

She grabbed some athletic tape from a drawer near by, and began wrapping Rebecca's leg. "In a couple days you should be able to remove this. But I wouldn't put any weight on this leg until it heals completely." Rebecca nodded and watched her. "Are you cold?" "No, why?" "Your skin is freezing. Are you sure you don't want me to turn up the heat or something?" "No, really, I'm fine. Besides," She glanced at the cops standing outside the door to her room. "Not like I'll be here long anyway." The nurse nodded, and quickly finished with her leg. "Hey, can I ask you a favor?" The nurse looked at her questioningly. "I've got….something on my head I'd like you to look at. Just look at it. I wanna make sure it's ok." She nodded, and grabbed a pair of gloves. Rebecca pointed to the hole in her skull. Before she could get close, the nurse gasped and jumped back. "Oh my god! How did that happen?" "It…complicated." She stepped closer and looked at it thoroughly. "This is, amazing. But I don't think it'll ever heal. The skin around the edges is burned and dead. Lucky you though, if they'd drilled any deeper, you would've had brain damage. But you should be fine." Rebecca nodded, and jumped off the bed. Her leg buckled a little, but she didn't fall. "Hold on a second, and I'll get you some crutches." "No thanks. I'll be fine." The nurse looked at her and shook her head. "No, you need to stay off that leg." "It's fine see?" The nurse rolled her eyes, and left the room. "Hey Oinkers!" Rebecca yelled. The cops turned around, both giving her dirty looks. "She said I'm done, let's go." The tall one jerked his head, and the shorter one ran off in the same direction. He removed the cuffs from the bed and placed both of Rebecca's hands behind her back before leading her outside. The shorter one was waiting in the squad car. "Rebecca McKennit, you are now, officially, under arrest."


	21. Chapter 21

Rebecca stayed in holding for 2 days before her court date came. They cuffed her hands and feet before escorting her to the court room. The moment she walked in, it was complete dejavu. The same judge that had sentenced her mother was there, it was the same room she'd burst into late, and just like last time, the Titans were there. Her blood boiled at the sight of Robin, but she pretended to ignore them. They didn't wave, they didn't smile. They all had very solemn faces. They watched somberly as she took her place in front of the judge. "Rebecca McKennit, you are hereby charged with robbery and assisted robbery, how do you plead?" She smirked a little. She'd know the answer to this question long before it was asked. "Guilty." "Very well, you are sentenced to 4 years prison. After 3 you may apply for parole. Case closed." She banged the gavel, and shook her head at Rebecca. 'Like mother, like daughter. I don't want to see you in here a third time ok?" Rebecca smiled and nodded. "I don't want to be in here a third time." She nodded, and motioned for the bailiff to take her away. Rebecca glanced back at the Titans, and felt her rage grow immensely. They were smiling. She ran out of there before she could lose her temper. She couldn't believe they were glad to see her go to jail. "Stupid Titans." She swore under her breath as the guard escorted her back to her cell. "You'll be moved to a female facility tomorrow. Lucky for you, the judge didn't think you were dangerous enough to go all the way to Arkham with the other freaks." She shook her hands free after the cuffs had been removed. "Joy...I guess I'll see you tomorrow then right?" He chuckled a bit and nodded before closing the door.

Everyday in prison was the same. People avoided her like a plague, not that Rebecca minded anyway. Most of the women in there were much older than her, and were there for more serious crimes than robbery. The warden gave Rebecca her own cell in fear she would kill a roommate; which was also fine with her. In the end, for Rebecca, life in prison…wasn't all that bad. One morning, while reading a book from the library, a guard stepped up to her cell. "McKennit?" "Who's asking?" "You have visitors." He opened the door and reached for his hand cuffs. "Rebecca set down the book and looked up at him. "Visitors? As in more than one?" "Yea." She shook her head and picked up the book again. "Not interested." "Too bad, one's the mayor." She laughed and stood up. "He wants info doesn't he?" The guard shrugged as he cuffed her and led her off. They put her in an interrogation room instead of a visitors room. Rebecca stared at the 2 way mirror, trying to catch any movement she could see. Eventually, the door opened. Rebecca caught a glimpse of a green glove, and quickly shoved the people back out of the room with her powers and slammed the door shut. "McKennit" The guard placed both hands on her shoulders to keep her sitting, but he flew back against the wall. "You son of a bitch!" She screamed at the mirror. "First you leave me to die, then you laugh at me when I get tossed into this hole, and now you have the nerve to come and ask me for help?" he waited for an answer. Any answer. When nothing happened, she slammed her fists on the mirror. "Answer me damnit!" The door opened again, very slowly. Rebecca felt her powers surge through her veins. She watched carefully as a guard walked in with a middle-aged man cowering behind him. "Robin has been asked to wait outside. He will stay there if you cooperate." She faced the cracked mirror, debating on whether or not to just smash it and go after him anyway. Finally, she nodded and sat down at the table again. The mayor, she assumed, was more like a stressed out business man than a politician. He couldn't have been older than 30, but his white hair drastically contrasted his black suit. He took a seat across from her, and began talking.

"We need information."

"I figured."

"We know Slade is planning something, but we don't know what."

"You know as much as I do. He never talked about his plans with me."

"You must know something. Anything, you were his appren-"

"Student." Rebecca hissed. The mayor eyed her, a little angry at being interrupted. 'Excuse me?" "I was his STUDENT. Not his apprentice."

"Fine. You must still know something."

"I have a couple of ideas but why should I tell you?" The mayor grinned. "I'd expect that from a criminal." Rebecca twitched. The guards jumped in front of the mayor, who looked up in complete shock. "I am not a criminal." "Really? What are you then?" Rebecca didn't answer. "You're certainly not a hero. You were once, but not anymore." "Fine, I'm a Rogue Hero. That doesn't make me a criminal."

"It certainly doesn't make you a good guy either. Rebecca," He pushed the guards aside, and stepped closer. His eyes were confident, but his left hand shook violently.

"You were destined to become a great hero. You have powers that make people quake in fear like no one ever has before. But you strayed from your path." He leaned close to her and stared her down. "Now's your chance to start fresh. Will you help us?" "I never said I wouldn't help you." He smiled and stood up straight. "Very well. What can you tell me?"  
"A generator?" Rebecca nodded. The mayor's face had sunken deeply since they first started talking. He looked like someone who hasn't slept in days. "So…He hasn't developed technology to use it efficiently yet?" "No. Not that I knew of." "Good. That'll give us a little time." He stood up and smiled. "Thank you Rebecca. For your cooperation, I would like to make you an offer." She tilted her head curiously. "What?" "I'm willing to shorten your sentence to only a few months, and, if you'd like, I've arranged to have your transferred." "Transferred? To where?" "Somewhere much safer. This place can't protect you from Slade. No where really can except-" "No." She shook her head vigorously. "I'm not staying with the Titans." "Ms Mckennit, Please, it's for your own safety." "I can protect myself." "Of course you can but Slade." "You let me worry about me, you have bigger problems." He sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll shorten your sentence still, but if you should reconsider, let the warden know, and she will contact me." "Don't hold your breath." She mumbled angrily. He shook her hand quickly, and left without another word. "Alright, let me go. I got a good book waiting for me."

"Hold on." Someone yelled from outside the door. Rebecca new that voice, and smiled very sadly. Beast Boy stepped in and waved. "Hey. Mind if we…talk for a bit?" The guard looked at her waiting for an answer. "Sure." Beast Boy smiled and sat down in the mayor's seat. "It's good to see you. We miss you at the tower." "Pfft, sure." "No really, it hasn't been the same since you left..." Beast Boy shifted unconfortably in his chair. After a minute of awkward silence, he took a deep breath. "Robin told us what happened earlier." Rebecca twitched and closed her eyes, trying to calm down. "How is everyone doing?" "We're good. Starfire went home for about a week, but she's back now. But, we're all kinda worried about you." "Rebecca scoffed. "Really now?" "Really. I mean, we knew you would help, but we also knew-" "That I wouldn't want to come back right?" He nodded. "I wish you would." "Sorry BB. It's not happening." "Why not?" She rolled her eyes, not wanting to explain. "Guard, let's go." "Wait, Becca, listen to me!" Beast Boy stood up and blocked the guard's path. Rebecca glared and him, and pinned him to the mirror with her powers. "Damnit Beast Boy." She stood up and hissed. "YOU listen to ME. I refuse to see or speak with Robin again let alone live with him. That night when I left, a radio tower fell on me. I was dying and Robin just left me there for the vultures." "What? Wait, no-" "I'm not coming back BB. As soon as my sentence is done, I'm gone. Done. Period. Nothing you say will change my mind." Beast Boy nodded slowly, and as soon as Rebecca set him down, he left without a word. Rebecca sighed, and followed the guard back to her cell.

"Chow time!" The buzzer rang and all the cell doors opened. Rebecca slowly meandered with the other inmates towards the cafeteria. There, she would chose from a combination of instant eggs, burnt bacon, sour milk, undercooked pancakes or cereal. Today, she chose the cereal and burnt bacon. Naturally, she sat alone, and ate silently. When she finished, she put away the tray and waited to be led outside for recreation. Outside, there was a small basket ball court, some weights in the corner, and some bleachers for sitting. Rebecca preferred the bleachers, knowing no one would want to do something with her. She took her normal spot when something happened. Something in her mind tossed up a red flag, telling her someone was watching her. She looked around, trying to figure out who it could be. Clouds hung over the open wasteland, but nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. Soon, she stood up and walked over to the fence. She leaned against it so her back wouldn't be towards any of the inmates, and continued looking for her spy. "Bad move." A voice whispered behind her. She suddenly felt something pressed against the small of her back between the links in the fence. "Didn't I teach you anything? Always watch your back." "I guess you were a pretty lousy teacher." "No, I simply had a lazy student." Rebecca's powers flared. The fence behind her started quaking. The guards took noticed and watched; suddenly the object in her back was pressed a little harder. "Now, now, we don't want to draw unwanted attention. Besides, if you make too much fuss, they'll take you out before I can. Now smile at them." She sighed, and obeyed. The guards smiled back and turned their attention towards the rest of the inmates.

"What do you want Slade?" "I'm simply here to tie up some loose ends." Rebecca sighed. Her body relaxed a little bit, waiting for what she knew was coming. The thing in her back quickly pierced her skin. She could fell it poking her front side before he removed it, but she didn't cry out in pain. "You'll have to….do better if you wanna keep me quiet." "How sad." He stabbed her again a little higher. "I was hoping I could just use this as a warning. That I wouldn't have to kill you. Maybe someday you could join me again." "Go to hell." "I'll see you there."


	22. Chapter 22

"What the hell happened?"

"We don't know. She was leaning against the fence by herself, then she just fell over with 3 knife wounds."

"You didn't see anything? Someone in your prison gets stabbed 3 times and these idiots saw nothing?"

"Uh…" Rebecca groaned and tried to roll over onto her back, but something was holding her in place. "She's waking up. Get out of here." "What happened?" "Rebecca? You were stabbed 3 times. You're lucky they missed your spine, but they got some of your organs." "Or…gans." "Yes. You've been through several surgeries and blood transfusions, but you should be alright." She groaned again, still trying to roll over. "Don't do that. You'll reopen the wound." "Where am I?" "Hospital." She heard the door open. An awkward silence filled the room as one person left, and another walked in. "How are you felling?" She opened her eyes to a fuzzy figure next to her. Slowly it came into focus, but she didn't need it to know who it was. "What are you doing here?" "The mayor asked me to try and convince you to reconsider our offer." She growled. The heart monitor went wild as her powers flared. "Get out of here!" She screamed. Several nurses ran in as Rebecca began struggling against the straps that bound her. 2 tried to get Robin to leave, but he just shook them off. "Rebecca calm down you're going to hurt yourself!" "Get him out of here!" "I'm not going anywhere until you hear what I have to say." "I don't want to hear about your deal, I'd rather rot in jail!" "Rebecca I'm sorry!" She screamed from the agony her body was going through. Between the pain of being stabbed, her anger at Robin, and an unfamiliar longing to hear what he had to say, her body felt like it was being torn limb from limb.

Slowly, the pain began to numb. The nurses had injected her with pain killers to get her to calm down. She became drowsy, and fell limp on the bed. "Rebecca?" "Robin, what do you…want from…me?" She groaned trying with everything she had to stay awake. "I'm sorry Rebecca. The radio tower, I shouldn't have left you there alone. But I knew I couldn't get you out of there by myself, and my team was in trouble. I had to go and help them to get you out." The heart monitor continued to beep wildly, but Rebecca didn't struggle. "You…left me to die." "No, I left you to get help, to save you." She groaned again, finally giving in to the sleepiness and passing out. When she woke again, the room was empty except for 1 man in a uniform. She recognized the rank on his collar and grinned. "Chief Mason." He looked over, pleased to see she was finally awake. "Ms McKennit. The Titans had some business to attend to but they asked me to give you the offer one last time. After today, the mayor and I plan to transfer you to Arkham in Gotham city. It's much safer there than any prison here." She chuckled and tried to sit up. "Mason, what would you decide? If you were in my position." He looked at her like he was trying to figure out if she was making a joke or not. "I'd go with the Titans hands down." "No, you're not thinking from my point of view. C'mon, you're the chief of police. You of all people know there's 2 sides to every story." "Alright, what's your side?"

"Robin. I hate him."

He looked at her shocked for a moment. "How come?"

"The night I took the chip from the pentel building, he caught me and followed me on top of a radio station."

"The tower…" She nodded. He sighed and shook his head. "Y'know, I've been trying to figure out what happened there for a long time. You two made it fall?" She nodded. "I was trapped underneath all the rubble, and rather than help me, Robin left. He just left me there to die." "Wait, he told me he went to help his team?" "I didn't know that until…the last time I woke up." She looked around for some calendar or clock to get an idea of how long she'd been out, but nothing. "Well, it sounds like it was all just a misunderstanding. You don't have any reason to hate him." "I know that now." "So, what else is keeping you from going with the Titans?" She thought for a moment, and suddenly smiled. "Thanks." He nodded and stood up. "I'll let them know. You try to recover." She lay back on her bed and watched the chief of police leave. Several days later, Rebecca was ready to leave the hospital. They checked her wounds, her organs, the incisions, and declared her healthy as a mule. The chief brought her possessions from the prison, and handed them to her on her way out the door. She smiled when she saw the T car waiting for her outside. "Becca!" Cyborg ran and pulled her into a robo-bear hug. "Man I knew you couldn't stay away! We missed you girl!" "Thanks Cy. She returned the hug until he finally set her down. "Everyone else is waiting at the tower. Let's go." He opened the passenger door for her. She jumped in without a second thought, and relaxed in the plush seats. She was going home, and it was about time.

Minutes later, Rebecca got out of the T car and was greeted warmly by a caped figure. "Welcome home." "It's good to be home Raven." Raven hesitated a moment before putting an arm around Rebecca and giving her a small hug. "We've all missed you." "So I hear." She smiled sadly. "Why so gloomy?" "I…you know what? I really don't know." She laughed at herself. Raven shook her head and motioned for her to follow. "The others are waiting." "Wait, guys are you sure?" Cyborg and Raven looked at her questioningly. "I mean, no one's angry with me?" Raven shook her head vigorously. "No. We understand." "We know you went to Slade to protect us." Cyborg clapped an arm on her shoulder. "And even when you were with Slade, you kept your honor." "And now you're paying for your crimes." "Actually," Raven gave her a small smile. "We are all very proud of you." Rebecca felt her heart back flip. "That's why everyone was smiling at the trial?" She nodded. "Why else would we?" Nevermind." Rebecca sighed, feeling as though a sack of bricks had been lifted from her shoulders. "Well, lets' go girl! Everyone's waiting on you." Cyborg pushed her into the hallway and down a set of stairs. "Hey? Where are we going?" "We all knew you couldn't stay away, so we got a surprise for you. Now close your eyes." Cyborg placed a hand over her face and led her through the hallways.

"Alright ready?" "What did you guys do?" "Ta-Da!" He moved his hand and pushed her into a room. All the Titans were in there waiting to see her reaction. "So? What do you think?" "Of…what?" "You're room of course." Rebecca looked around again. A bed, a full length mirror, a set of wooden panels with a golden Chinese dragon on them, and some shelves. It was very modest, but for some reason, she adored it. "Do you like it?" "I love it." She smiled. Beast Boy jumped off the bed and ran towards her for her 3rd hug today. " Welcome home." "Thanks BB."A whirring sound caught her attention. She looked into a corner next to the door and noticed a small camera. "It was a condition for you to stay here." Robin piped up quietly. "There's also a lock on the door from the outside. We have to keep you in here whenever there's trouble." "No surprise." She finally let go of Beast Boy and jumped on the bed next to Starfire. "Friends, we should all celebrate Rebecca's-"The alarm made Rebecca jump. She'd forgotten how loud and annoying it was. Cyborg rolled his eyes. "C'mon everyone, let's go see what it is." Everyone followed him upstairs except for Robin. He stopped in the doorway and looked back at Rebecca. "We have…a lot to talk about." "Later." She waved him off. "Go play hero." He nodded and left the room. Rebecca heard a small beeping sound before hearing the door click locked.

She was lying on her bed when she heard the door click open. "We're back!" Beast Boy ran in and jumped on the bed next to her. "And we brought food." He opened up a pizza bow and showed her a hot mushroom pizza. "I thought you'd want to spend some time alone, but you're always welcome upstairs if you want." "Thanks BB. I'll be up in a little bit ok?" Beast Boy smiled. "Oh, right, Cyborg gave you your own bathroom." He pointed to a door in the far corner she hadn't noticed before. "Are you trying to tell me I smell?" "You kinda smell like old people from the hospital, but I'm pretty sure that just me. Y'know" he pointed to his nose proudly. "Animal senses." She giggled a bit and nodded. "Ok, I'll make sure I shower before I come up." "Thanks." Beast Boy got up off the bed and headed for the door, but stopped halfway and turned around. "What is it?" "Um…well, I was kinda curious. Um, you see," "You wanna know what happened. With Slade, right?" He nodded bashfully. "If you don't want to talk about it I understand completely. You don't have to, but-" "It's ok. Really. I'll tell you sometime, just not tonight ok?" He smiled. "Alright. I'll see you upstairs." He left the room, nearly running into Robin on the way out. They regarded each other silently, and waited for the other to start talking.

"You're welcome to join us upstairs." Rebecca nodded, grabbing a slice of pizza and taking a bite. "Would you…like to join us?" "Later." She took a large bite, giving her and excuse not to talk. "Are we ok?" He finally blurted out. Rebecca didn't answer. "I told you what happened. It was all just a misunderstanding. We came back for you, but you were already gone." She finally swallowed. "I know." "Then why are you still angry with me?" "I don't know. I just am." "What? Why? There has to be a reason." "Robin, you don't get it." She stared at him, trying to give him a hard look without actually glaring. "I've been nursing this pain for 18 months now. It's not just going to go away overnight. Besides, you still left me. I was dying under there Robin, how could you?" "I went to go get help, I told you!" "I didn't know that!" "Rebecca I'm sorry!" They stopped yelling long enough for Rebecca to take another bite. "Is there anything I can do to fix this?" Rebecca shook her head. "Rebecca please. We used to be so close. I just…want things to be the way they used to." "You can't turn back time Robin. No matter what you do. I spent over a year with Slade. Nothing either of us can say or do could erase that year. We can't change what happened any more than I can stop being angry with you." "There has to be something I can do. Anything Please." "When I find out, I'll let you know." She closed the pizza box and grabbed her bag. "I'd like to get a quick shower before I go upstairs if you don't mind." Robin nodded, and quickly left the room.


	23. Chapter 23

Rebecca stepped out of the shower, trying to remember the last time she'd felt so relaxed and clean. She laughed quietly when she couldn't think of something. She quickly dried off and grabbed some clothes before heading upstairs to join the others.

Beast Boy walked out of the living room just as she was about to walk in. "Hey! I was just coming to get you!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her into the living room. "We're just about to put in a movie." "Rebecca, please help us select a movie to enjoy." Starfire grabbed her next and sat her on the couch. "Which one? Monster of the black Lagoon 4, or Killer Robots 2: The virus?" Cyborg dangled 2 movies in front of her. Rebecca felt in the mood for some action, so she picked the one with a guy holding a machine gun on the cover. "Killer Robots it is!" Cyborg grinned as he stared the movie. The lights dimmed and the movie began. It was slow at first, a lot of computer language that only cyborg seemed to understand. But the moment the first shot was fired, it was non-stop action. Bullets, circuts and blood flew everywhere until and hour and a half later, the hero chopped off the head of the last robot. Rebecca finally exhaled as the lights came back on. "Good choice Becca, that was awesome!" Cyborg high-fived her. "Yes truly, you picked a most violent and disgusting movie!" Starfire cheered. Rebecca smiled and let out a loud yawn. "What time is it?" "It's pretty late. Time for the Titans to power down for the night." Every one nodded and slowly wandered their way to their rooms. "C'mon. I'll lock you up." Beast Boy grabbed Rebecca's shoulder's and gently pushed her towards her room. "I'm sorry I have to do this." "It's fine BB." "I'll make sure the first person awake unlocks it for you." "Thanks." He opened the door and bowed playfully. "Sweet dreams dear lady." "And you good sir." Rebecca curtsied and waved as he closed the door.

Very early the next morning, Rebecca stretched and stood up from her bed. She tried her door, expecting it to still be locked, but to her surprise, it opened. The tower was still dark, no one seemed to be awake yet. She decided to explore and see who had opened it for her. Eventually, she made here way to the roof, where Beast Boy was sitting on the edge, staring at the sky. "Hey. How come you're up so early?" "I don't sleep much anymore. How about you?" Beast Boy shrugged. "Sometimes I like watching the sunrise." Rebecca sat down next to him. They both watched the horizon in silence until the sun was halfway up. Finally, Rebecca broke the silence. "So, what did you want to ask me?" "Hu?" "You said you had some questions, about Slade? Well, here's your chance. Ask away." "Are you sure?" The look of concern on his face was heart warming. She smiled and nodded. "Um, ok. How about the beginning, why did you leave?" Her smiled faded at the memory of fighting Robin at the Radio tower.

"Slade offered to train me. Help me control my powers. I kept hurting people without meaning to and I just…I didn't want to hurt anyone else." Beast Boy smiled sympathetically. "Alright. What happened with Slade? When you were arrested, you were with-" "Slade's a psycho." She interrupted him on purpose. "I snuck out one night, just to get out y'know? He put me in a hole for 3 days with no food or light. He had me convinced for the longest time that I was nothing without him. Then, one day, while we were training, I overpowered him." She instinctively reached for the back of her head. It was still tender, but dry now. She could still feel her skull underneath all her hair. "He didn't want to lose me. So he made a helmet. If I used my powers too much." She shivered at the memory. "The pain. It was unbearable." "I'm sorry." She waved it off. "Next question." "Um, Why were you after the eye of Ra? Of all the priceless stuff in there, why the one thing a whole country would hunt you down for?" Rebecca couldn't hold back her laughter. "Y'know, I said the same thing. It wasn't my decision though, I was just keeping a lookout for cops." "Oh. Well, oh yea, was that really you with the generator?"

She nodded and Beast Boy's face sunk. "You didn't, I mean…We found….Aw man, there was an" She watched him beat around the bush for a bit before finally realizing what he was referring to. "I didn't do it BB. I saw it happen." "And you didn't stop it?" "I wanted to but…" She shook her head and turned around. Robin was standing in the doorway looking like a lost puppy. "Breakfast is ready. Everyone's waiting on you two." Rebecca glanced at BB and smiled. "To be continued." He nodded and followed her downstairs.

Weeks later, Rebecca was staring at the ceiling, laying on her bed. "1267 bottles of beer on the wall. 1267 bottles of beer." Her door opened and she jumped up pummeling Cyborg to the ground. "Hey! What I do?" "I counted down from 99 bottles and then started counting up. I'm at 1267. I told myself if I make it to 2000 I'd jump out the window just for fun." Cyborg laughed and moved her off of him. "I guess you're bored?" "Totally! I've been stuck in my room for days now, doesn't crime ever take a break?" "Not in this city, but I got some good news for you. There's a party downtown tonight. Wanna come?" Rebecca's eyes lit up. "Can I? I mean, legally?" "Yea, but you gotta stay near one of us the whole time alright?" Rebecca nodded, her smile too big for her face. "Alright, but first Starfire wants to take you shopping." "Shopping? Why?" "You really wanna go to a party looking like that?" She looked down at her ragged jeans and stained t-shirt. When she got them, they were really big for her, but now they were getting kinda small. "I guess you got a point." "Friend!" Starfire flew from the corner and grabbed her hand. "We must hurry, we do not have much time!" Starfire flew through the hallways and out of the tower holding onto Rebecca's hand with an iron grip. "StarFIRE!" Rebecca looked down and screamed. They, or rather Star was flying high along the tower. "I am sorry Rebecca but we must hurry!" She yelled over the wind as they flew east towards the mall. Seconds later, Rebecca landed in front of the mall feeling a little dizzy. "Rebecca? Are you feeling well?" "I..ug, urp." She ran towards the bushes and upchucked the remainder of her lunch. "I am sorry friend!" "Uh, Please. Don't do that, urp. Again Star."

"I am sorry friend, but we must hurry the party starts soon!" Starfire grabbed Rebecca's hand and dragged her inside, this time a bit more gently. They only went into one store, but by the time they were done, Rebecca walked out with 7 new outfits, 3 sets of shoes, 2 hats, 4 scarves, some stockings, a little bit of jewelry, and a jacket. Luckily, Starfire couldn't juggle a person and all those clothes, so they took a cab home.

"Hurry! They are waiting for us!" "Ok just give me 5 minutes to change!" Rebecca yelled and raced for her room. She threw all of her new clothes on her bad and grabbed the first things she saw. Not even bothering to hide behind the wooden panel as she changed. She threw on some clothes, some shoes and raced for the living room. "Ready." She burst in expecting everyone to get up and run for the garage. But she waited, and waited. "What's wrong?" She asked when nobody moved. "Nothing, um let's go." Robin coughed and led the way downstairs. "Hey BB." She pulled him aside on the way down. "Why was everyone staring like that?" He smiled at her. "You didn't bother looking at a mirror did you?" "No, why? Is there something wrong?" "No, no. You look…" He gaped at her for a moment, lost for words. "You look amazing." Her face flushed. She finally decided to look down and see what she was wearing. A dark red v-neck shirt that came just above her belly button, with some long, form fitting black pants. Suddenly, feeling very self conscious, she tried tugging the shirt down to cover her stomach, but it only made her cleavage more obvious. She turned to run back to her room to change, but everyone was already piled into the T car waiting for her.

Robin made it to the club first on the bike. He waved at the bouncer, who waved back and let them in without a question. The only light in the whole club came from a single strobe light, and the music was pounding so hard, they could feel the floor shake with every beat of the bass. The dance floor was overflowing with people of all colors, shapes and ages. Suddenly, Rebecca felt very flustered. In all the excitement of finally getting out of Titan's Tower, she'd forgotten she can't dance. "C'mon Becca, let's go!" Beast boy screamed and grabbed her hand, but she tugged it back. "She shook her head. "No thanks!" "Why not?" "I don't dance!" She screamed over the music. Don't what?" "Dance!" She screamed a second time. "Hey cutie, wanna dance?" A blonde girl quickly ran up and grabbed Beast Boy's arm, shooting a victorious look at Rebecca before the crowd swallowed them. Rebecca looked around to see which Titans she could stick with. Raven had disappeared, probably somewhere quieter, and Cyborg and Starfire were already dancing. Robin was the only one left. "Let's grab a seat." He gestured over towards a dark corner of the club. It was a small bar, pretty empty, and probably just there in case someone passes out from dehydration. Robin took a seat while Rebecca took one 2 seats away. "So how come you don't dance?" She shrugged. "Never learned. What's your excuse?" "Same." A bartender walked up to them holding an empty glass. "What'll it be?" "Water." He nodded at Robin and waited for Rebecca.

"Strawberry daiquiri."

"ID?"

"Virgin."

He nodded and disappeared to the other side for a few minutes before returning with their drinks. "You drink?" "Depends on whether or not you'll arrest me." "Since when?" She smiled and shrugged. "I snuck out a couple times. Went partying at night when…I could, y'know. Till…" She stopped and took a drink. "Tastes better with the booze." Robin watched her for a minute before taking a sip of his water. "Beast Boy told us some of…what happened." "I figured he would." "Mind if I ask you something?" "Depends on what you ask." "If you had another chance. Would you still do it? Knowing what you do now, would you still have gone with Slade?" She froze and thought for a long moment. "Y'know…I'm not sure." "Really?" "Yea. I mean, of course some, no. Most of it was…" She shivered, and took another drink. "Horrible. But some things, the parties, some of the people…" Her mind drifted to Red X. She felt her heart breaking again, remembering their last moment on the roof of the museum. "Some things, even if they seemed bad at the time, they just stick with you forever." He nodded, and took another sip.

"Excuse me." Rebecca turned and faced a young man. His dark hair and bright blue eyes made her heart leap into her throat. "Would you like to dance?" She didn't want to, but something about him drove her insane. She glanced at Robin to see if it was ok. He nodded and took another drink as she took his hand. He led her to the center of the dance floor. He waved at the DJ, who waved back and quickly changed the song. A slow song. Rebecca hesitated, but slipped her arms around his neck as he placed his on her back. He leaned in close, making her heart flutter a bit and whispered in her ear. "I was hoping I'd find you here." She finally understood what attracted her so much. "It's you isn't it?" He nodded and smiled. "I didn't think you'd recognize me without the mask." "I'd know you're cocky voice anywhere." He laughed and grinned at her. "How'd you escape?" "Oh, I have my ways." His grin turned devious for a moment, before it faded. "I hear you're back with the Titans." She nodded solemnly. "The mayor shortened my sentence if I-" "Let's get out of here." They stopped dancing. Rebecca frowned and shook her head. "I can't."

"You CAN, you just don't want to."

"No, it's not that. I can't until my sentence is up."

"What happened to the girl I knew? Y'know, the one who would sneak out at night to go drinking and hang out with bad boys?"

"She disappeared when her master started torturing her." They both froze for a moment, not sure what to say. "X, I can't leave the Titans. At least not until my sentence is up."

"Man, what happened to my girl?"

"You're girl?"

"Well, I assumed…" He stopped and leaned in slowly. She turned her head slightly and allowed him to kiss her on the cheek. "Heh heh…See? When we first met, you would've slapped me for even getting close to you." She chuckled lightly, not wanting the pain in her heart to ruin the moment. "When my sentence is up. I don't plan on staying with the titans forever. The Hero gig…just isn't my thing." "Now there's my girl." He smiled sadly and sighed. "Alright. I'll hold out for a while." His eyes shifted around them and he nodded. "When you're sentence is up. Till then…" He stepped back and grinned. "Try to at least have some fun." She nodded and watched him disappear into the crowd. Rebecca stood there, feeling the hole in her heart throb, until people started staring at her. She then made her way back to the bar and took her seat 2 places away from Robin again. "Who was that?" He asked. "That was…an old friend." "Who?" She took a drink from her daiquiri, avoiding answering the question.

"Hey!" Cyborg ran up between them smiling and laughing. "How come y'all ain't dancing?" Rebecca finished her daiquiri, forcing Robin to answer. "We don't dance." "Nonsense! C'mon Becca, I know you're gonna dance!" Suddenly, Starfire snuck up behind Robin and whisked him away, as Cyborg grabbed Rebecca. "So, who was that guy you were dancing with?" "He's a friend from a long time ago." She screamed over the music. Cyborg stopped close to the edge of the dance floor and started moving. Rebecca, not sure what else to do, tried her best to mimic his movements. "A friend? Geez, he really had Beast Boy worked up." "Beast boy? Why?" "He saw your friend kiss you." Cyborg grinned. "You know, he really likes you." Rebecca nodded, trying to keep up with Cyborg's moves. "He said he was gonna ask you out tomorrow night." "Why are you telling me?" Cyborg shrugged. "He asked me if I thought he should or not, I figured I'd see what your answer would be before I told him. Save him the heart break y'know?" Rebecca smiled. What a friend. She thought for a moment. Of everyone of the Titans, Beast Boy had always been the nicest to her. But at the same time, her thoughts turned to Red X. It would be months before she would see him again, but what happened if Beast Boy became more than just a friend? "Beast Boy's been so nice to me. I guess I owe him at least 1 date right?" Cyborg smiled. "Is that a yes?" She nodded. "Tell him to go ahead and ask." "Didn't think you'd say no. I already told him to." The song ended, everyone cheered, and another slow song came on. Rebecca felt a tap on her shoulder. She didn't have to see to know it was Beast Boy. She turned and smiled at him. "Of course." She answered before he could ask her to dance. He smiled back and grabbed her hand. He spun her around a couple of times before grabbed her other hand and swaying slowly from side to side.

Rebecca waited patiently for him to gather his courage and ask her, and started thinking about how their relationship would be. It made perfect sense to say yes. He's cute, nice, funny, and she really did like him. But every now and then, she caught herself looking over his shoulder into the crowd, and she knew she was looking for X. "Um, Rebecca can I ask you something?" She turned and smiled at him. "What is it?" "I was kinda wondering…well, um," He shifted uncomfortably before suddenly standing up straight with a bold look on his face. "Rebecca, would you-"

BOOM!


	24. Chapter 24

Beast Boy grabbed her hand and held on as tightly as hundred of people ran past them. The entire left wall of the club had been blown to bits, leaving a gaping hole and rubble all over the dance floor. In a second, the Titans all made their way past the throngs of people to see what was going on. The dust cleared, and Rebecca shuddered, as her former master stepped past the debris towards the Titans. "Rebecca. You know what I'm here for." Beast Boy squeezed her hand tighter, cutting off the circulation. "Surrender to me, or I'll blow the rest of this building to nothing." "She's not going anywhere!" Robin yelled and ran towards him. Slade held up a tiny box with a red button and Robin froze. "I am not a patient man. As all of you know well. One last chance Rebecca." Rebecca looked around, at the hundreds of screaming people trying to fight their way to the door, and at each of her friends. She threw off BB's hand and ran towards Slade "Rebecca, No!" "SLADE! If you want me, Come at get me! You know where I'll be!" She closed her eyes, and in a bright flash, vanished. Slade growled, but turned and ran off. "Robin!" Beast Boy yelled at him, "I know, I know! Raven, can you sense her?" "No, she's no where nearby." "Then we split up. Cyborg and Raven, check the tower. Starfire and Beast Boy, the old warehouse where Big James was hiding. I'll run the streets. Move!"

Rebecca sighed, and started pacing. She'd barely got here, but being back after so long made her uncomfortable. Slade had obviously abandoned this place after she went to prison. All that remained of their life here together was the furniture in her old bedroom. She walked into random rooms, reliving some of the better moments of her life with Slade. Where she'd once trained, the office he used to tinker with new inventions...the hole he threw her into...When she returned to the front room, she noticed pieces of a broken helmet still littering the corner.

"You bastard. You tried to control me." "I tried to help you." Rebecca whirled around, throwing her foot at the voice behind her, but Slade blocked it. "You still have trouble with your control." "I'm not going to let you use me. You're no better than Niero, all you wanted was a weapon." "Yes." Hearing him admit it only made her more angry. She started to jump back, but Slade grabbed her leg and held her. "You have no idea of what you're capable of. I do." "You don't know anything about me." "I know you better than you even know yourself. You need me." I don't need anyone!" She shoved him off of her and jumped back. He threw explosives at her feet, blowing a hole in the floor. She fell through the floorboards, landing in the basement where she'd once been trapped. Before she could stand, Slade leaped down from above and landed on her. She howled in pain at the sickening sound her bones were making. Slade stepped off of her and kneeled down. "Only a few months ago, you would've endured this pain without making a sound. You would've kept better focus on your surroundings, you wouldn't have fallen for such a trap. The Titans have made you soft."

Rebecca threw her fist at him, using her powers for extra force. It landed smack in the middle of his face making him fall backwards. She quickly jumped up and kicked him before he could recover. "Only a few months ago, I had you pinned to the ground. You stipend my powers, and I still escaped-" He caught her foot and tripped her. The both scrambled to opposite corners and stood up before facing each other. Rebecca saw the blood dripping from the chin of his mask and grinned. "You convinced me that I was nothing without you. But that's not true. You're nothing without your precious weapons are you?" "I am your master!" He yelled and charged for her. She sidestepped him and kicked him into the wall. He caught himself and turned, trying again, but with only the same result on the opposite wall. "You once locked me in here for 3 days." She stepped back and through the door behind her. "Let's see how you like it." And she slammed the door shut and bolted it before he could ram into it. "You! You Insolent girl! If you think mere walls can keep me here-" "I'm not expecting you to stay here forever. I'm just waiting for backup." She sighed and leaned against the wall. "I won't execute you. I'll leave a jury to decide that. It's not my job to execute, just to-" "to catch them." Becca turned and smiled. "What took you so long?" Robin was wearing a smile too big to fit on his face. "We had to find you. A neighbor called in the explosions. You could've just said where you were going." She shook her head and slid down the wall to sit on the ground. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt. And I thought...it would be better if I did this on my own." She sighed and closed her eyes. "It's not over yet." Rebecca jumped off the wall and shoved Robin out of the way just as lasers singed the door behind them. Slade took aim again, "I told you to mind your surroundings, even as they change..." Rebecca threw out her hand, throwing Slade back. Down the hall. She reached out her other hand and pulled it back as the laser-gun flew out of his hands at Robin's feet. She threw her hand up, down, and to both sides, tossing Slade around like a doll. Suddenly the wall began to shake. The roof above them began to tumble. "Rebecca!" She grabbed Robin's clothes and concentrated on the outside.

Moments later, they were watching the house collapse in on itself from the from yard. "Are you ok?" She nodded. "I lost control. I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry." "Rebecca!" They both turned just as she was tackled in the fiercest hug she'd ever had. "You're ok, thank god you're ok. Where's Slade?" "Ah...BB, Please let go." Beast boy jumped back like he'd just been shocked. "Are you ok?" "Uh, yea. I think, ah. She felt her side gingerly and shifter her weight entirely to one foot. "I think I broke some stuff. But I'm ok." "Where's Slade?" She glanced back to the house. "Oh...I guess-" "Yea. You should go check. But I need to sit for a minute." Beast Boy grabbed her arm and supported her weight as she limped over to the sidewalk. The other Titans began to rummage through the debris. It was a while before they found Slade. Cops were brought in to help sort through the house until finally "I got him! He alive. No, out cold, but alive." Rebecca saw Robin glance at her for a moment, but neither of them said anything. She was glad for this. When Cyborg brought the Tcar around, everyone volunteered to fly or get a ride from Robin so she could have the backseat to herself and lay down. But, she knew she had to do something first. "Hey, BB. Would you mind riding with me at least? I'd like some company." She caught Cyborg's eye and winked. Cyborg grinned. "Uh, sure." He let her get in first and made sure she was comfortable before sitting next to her.

"So, I was wondering what you were gonna ask me before? While we were dancing?" "Oh, that. Um, well..." She waited patiently while he stammered. He kept looking up at Cyborg like he was looking for help, but Cyborg pretended to ignore them.

"Just spit it out BB, what is it?"

"I wanted to ask you, if maybe we could,...when you're better at least. If you don't want to that's cool too."

"BB, I'd love to go out. How about a movie?" She smiled as his eyes lit up.

"Yea totally! Maybe some pizza or something?"

"Sounds great."

"So, how about Friday? Well, your leg, maybe."

"Friday will be great. I'll be fine don't worry."

"Awesome" He smiled. Rebecca returned his smile and laid back in her seat. For the first time she could remember, she felt like her life was finally pointing in the right direction.

"I don't think that'll work for me Star." "What about this one?" Starfire held up an oddly familiar purple shirt and miniskirt. "Mmm...I don't think that really suits me Star." "Hmm..." They both stared at the pile of clothes on Becca's bed. They'd removed her entire wardrobe and half of Starfire's looking for something for Rebecca's date, but nothing just seemed to work. "Perhaps we should ask Raven if she has any nice clothes?" "Hmm...Maybe. I do kinda prefer the darker colors." Someone knocked on the door. "Come in." Raven walked in holding a shopping bag. "You should have asked sooner. I've been saving this, but I don't think it fits me anymore." It was a velvet black off the shoulder shirt. Becca quickly threw it on and looked in the mirror. "Raven, you're a life saver. Thank you! This is perfect, it's nice but it's not over the top. A clean pair of jeans and I'm ready." "Good. Beast Boy is waiting, I'll let him know you're almost done." "Thanks Rae!" She nodded and left. Rebecca quickly cleaned up and raced upstairs. Bb was out of his usual uniform in civilian clothing. Some baggy jeans and a nice button up shirt. He saw Rebecca and smiled. "Ready?" "Yep." "Great, let's get going, the movie starts soon." "Ok. See you guys!" They both waved and took off down to the garage.

A few hours later.

"That was-" "AWESOME!" "I know!" "Did you see how close they were to that truck!" "Totally! So cool!" "Greatest movie ever." Rebecca nodded and smiled at him. "You picked a good one. Ready for pizza?" "You bet, I'm hungry." Beast Boy grabbed her hand as they started walking down the street. "I'm really glad you said yes." "Me too. I'm having a really good time with you." "Good" He smiled at her. "You know, I was kinda nervous. I thought I was gonna do something stupid and ruin the whole night." "No way. Doing stupid things if half the fun of living. That's one of the things I really like about you BB. You're really fun, and you can always make me laugh." He blushed. "Thanks." She nodded. The rest of the date was spent in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence. More like nothing needed to be said. It was nice, Rebecca thought. There's not a lot of people out there you can sit and enjoy doing nothing with. This is really nice...

* * *

Did ya kiss her?

No.

Did ya try to kiss her?

No, it's not like that.

"Hu? I don't get it. I thought you liked her?

Of course I do, but it's more...I don't know. I can't explain it. Just being with her makes me happy.

* * *

Did he kiss you?

No.

Did he try?

No, he's not that kind of guy.

I'll bet he will next time.

What?

* * *

You should kiss her.

Why?

To see if there's a spark between you two.

Of course there's a spark.

Are you sure?

* * *

I'll bet that's what the guys are telling him. That he needs to kiss you to see if you like him or not.

But I do like him. He knows that or I wouldn't have gone out with him.

But do you REALLY like him?

I...I'm not sure.

* * *

It seemed the tower had been split into sexes. The girls spent their time in Rebecca's room, discussing Beast Boy, while the guys were in the living room playing video games and discussing Rebecca.

It was another week before their next date. Crime seemed to be taking a break. Nothing serious to require the Titans assistance, and everyone was taking advantage of the break. Raven stocked up on books, Starfire spent a couple days at home on Tamaran, Cyborg gave the T car a tune-up and Robin trained in the gym. Beast Boy and Rebecca spent their free time together, playing video games and watching TV. Finally, the following Friday, they met up in the living room again and left for the arcade together. They mostly played competing games like racing and fighters, but when they teamed up for a shooter, they found out how well they worked together. "BB, I'll take the group on the left, cover me!"

"No, quick I need another quarter!" "We're all out!" She yelled as the terrorist group shot her character and depleted her life bar. "Ah, well, we made it pretty far." "Level 15. Not bad considering most people don't usually make it past 2 or 3." "Yea. But what now?" "Well, I guess it's time to head back." Raven's words echoed in her head. 'I'll bet they're telling him to kiss you.' She nodded nervously, and followed him down the street. Neither of them said anything until they made it back to the tower. "I had a good time tonight." "Yea, me too." "So..um." He shifted uncomfortably. She knew what was coming, but she couldn't see a way out of it without hurting his feelings. He stepped closer to her. "I really like you Becca." "I...like you too." He smiled and stepped slightly closer, and started to lean forward. Rebecca felt her heart race into panic mode. This was it, their first kiss. Would it be good? Would he be bad at it? Would SHE be bad at it? What if he wanted more than a kiss? Her mind was racing when suddenly she felt something soft gently touch her lips. She closed her eyes...and waited.


	25. Chapter 25

A moment later he stepped back and stared at her. "Um.." She said, not sure what to think. He looked confused. "That was, um..." "Not quite what I expected." They both smiled in relief. "Becca, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" "No, no, don't worry. I mean, it was nice but-" "Yea. It was nice, but..." They both nodded understandingly. "I really have enjoyed this BB." "Me too. I'm still glad we did this." "Maybe we still can? Just, you know-" "Friends." He nodded and grinned. "We'll go out more, just you and me." "Friends." She agreed, and they walked up the stairs together. Hand in hand, friends, and nothing more.

Rebecca went straight to her room, but Beast Boy went up stairs to the living room. All the Titans were there. "Did ya kiss her?" Cyborg leaned towards him. Beast Boy nodded and Cyborg cheered. "Aw YEA! That's my boy! How was it?" "I...can't really describe it." "She's that good hu?" "No!, well, no I mean. It was nice but..." "But?" Everyone was leaning towards him now. "We decided we were better just friends. Good friends, but not a couple. "Oh." "Oh Beast Boy, I'm dreadfully sorry." "Don't be Star. It was a mutual agreement. She didn't dump me or anything like that. There just wasn't anything there." Beast Boy walked around the couch where Robin was sitting. He stood in front of him, staring Robin down. "She's still my good friend. If you hurt her..." Robin grunted and watched the TV. "Don't know what you're talking about Beast Boy." "Hmph. Whatever."

The next morning, Rebecca was on the roof, skimming through her mom's diary. The door opened behind her, but she ignored it and kept reading.

June 17th

We went to Grandpa's house today. He showed my his treasure room. It was so pretty!

Robin sat down next to her, but she continued to ignore him.

He showed me his favorite one, the golden necklace from King Edward the second. Its a big bird with red diamonds for eyes. It looked scary!

"Becca?" "..."

He asked me what I liked the most. I like the red box with leaves on it.

"Rebecca?" "What is it Robin?" "Are...we ok?"

She closed the book and laid it on her lap. "I don't understand." "I understand why you were mad at me. I don't blame you at all. I was just wondering if you still are?" "Robin...this isn't something that's just going to go away. Misunderstanding or not, you left me when I needed you most. Slade was the one who saved. me." "I honestly can't tell you how sorry I am for that." "You can apologize a million times, but it won't help you any." She stood up and headed for the door. "What can I do?" She stopped and looked back at him. "I honestly wish I knew. If I figure it out, you'll be the first to know."

Time with the Titans continued as normal. Rebecca spent a lot of time on the roof, reading her mother's diary. She was locked in her room whenever there was trouble, and during the night. The monotony was a constant, nagging presence in the back of Rebecca's mind, but she ignored it and spent her time reading her mom's diary and learning the history of her family through it. It was a good month later before anything changed.

Her door opened and she looked up from her book. Beast Boy was wearing his big goofy grin. "C'mon, you have visitors upstairs." "Visitors? Me?" "Yea! C'mon, they're waiting for you." She looked at him nervously. "Who is it?" "I promised I wouldn't tell you." "BB, I'm not-" "Don't worry! It's not bad! I would've told you anyway if it were bad." She didn't seem soothed by this, so Beast Boy grabbed her hand and pulled he rout of the room. "You've gotta hear this! I promise, not bad, good! In fact, it's better than good! It's fantastic!" "BB, I don't like surprises, can you at least tell me who's here?" "Nope, sorry, we didn't want you guessing either." She tried to tug her hand away, but he had a firm grip on her. So she resigned and followed him to the living room. All the Titans had worried looks on their faces, but when Rebecca walked in, those looked washed away in a sea of joy. 2 men were standing in the middle talking to Robin. They turned and smiled at Rebecca when she recognized them.

"Sheriff? Mr. Mayor? What's going on?" "I'm sorry for taking my time getting here, but I'm a very busy man and I wanted to do this personally." The mayor stepped forward and grinned. "I wanted to thank you for Slade's capture. The Titan's and several eyewitnesses all claim that it was you who fought and finally defeated him, and for that this city will always be in debt to you." "Uh..sure. Don't mention it." She awkwardly brushed off his gratitude. "I don't want your thanks. I didn't do it for the city. I did it so he couldn't hurt me anymore... "Well, whether or not you seem to realize it, this is a very big deal. The city council and I have all agreed to award you the key to the city during the anniversary celebration next week." The Titan's all rolled their eyes, but continued smiling. Rebecca's face contorted a bit. Anniversary celebration...this was ringing and ominous bell. "Um...I don't think, I mean, thank you, but it probably isn't a good idea to give the key to the city to someone on parole." "Ahem." The sheriff coughed and stepped closer. "That would be why I'm here. This is for you." He handed her a yellow carbon slip. She glanced at it and looked at him questioningly. "You don't keep track of the dates too well do you? Yesterday was the last day of your sentence. That's your certificate of release. As of this moment, your sentence is over. You're free as a bird." Her jaw dropped as the Titans all cheered. The sheriff and mayor grinned at her. "We thought you'd like to know." "Um...thank you." Her mind was racing as the mayor filled in the details of the anniversary party. She nodded occasionally, but didn't hear a word he was saying. After they left, the Titans one by one congratulated her. "You deserve this Becca." "Way to go girl!" "What wonderful news!" "So what are you gonna do now?" Beast Boy's question finally snapped her out of her daze. She smiled at him and shrugged. He frowned, but was interrupted by more congratulatory comments.

Later on that evening, someone knocked on her door. "Come in." Beast Boy stepped in and looked around. Rebecca had emptied the contents of her bag and dresser onto her bed and sorted it into neat piles. "What's all this?" "It doesn't all fit in my bag anymore. I'm trying to decide what to get rid of and what to keep." "So...you're leaving?" She didn't answer. "I was afraid of that." He walked up and sat on an empty corner of her bed. "You know...if you stayed you could keep all of it." "I don't want to keep all of it." "Why not?" "I don't like it. All these clothes, I don't need them. Just my jeans and some shirts and I'm fine." But this shirt here-" He picked up a torn red shirt. "This was the shirt you wore to the club, that night. It looked really good on you." "Slade tore it at the house. I don't want it." "What about these books from Raven?" "I've read all of them already, she can have them back." His frown deepened. "There isn't anything from here you want to keep? Was it really so bad here?" "No." She shook her head and smiled as she refolded the shirt he picked up. "Living here has been the greatest time of my life. I've never been so happy."

"Then stay."

"I can't."

"Why not?" She set down the shirt and thought. She'd never told Beast Boy about X. It didn't feel right to now. "I don't belong here BB. I'm not a Titan."

"But you could be. We all want you to stay and join. We think you'd be a great Titan."

"I don't think ex-cons made good Titans."

"I think they make the best." He pouted.

"You're the strongest out of all of us. Plus you know the underworld better than anyone. You understand them. That's something we could really use here-"

"That sounds like something Robin would say." She growled.

He nodded. "He did say it. I agree with him."

She shook her head. "I'm not a hero." "I think you are. You saved that little girl on the bridge remember?"

"That was a robot."

"You didn't know that." Rebecca shook her head and started rearranging her piles on the bed. Beast Boy sighed. "Alright. I don't really wanna argue either. But...will you at least think about it? We all really want you to stay."

She paused. "I'll think about it." She muttered. Beast Boy nodded, and left her to her thoughts.

"I wonder...what would Mom say if she knew about this? Would she be happy I found someone? Would she be angry for me leaving my friends? Or sad because I chose a life of crime..." She sighed. "Guess I'll never know."

Rebecca found herself walking on a road with 2 people. The road split, and one person walked one way, the other went the other way. "Which way should I go?" She asked herself. Both of the figures turned around, but she couldn't see their face in the dark. "This way! Over here! We'll have fun together, and forget about all this hero nonsense." One person yelled. "Over here! You can do it! What would your mom say if she found out you became a criminal?" The other yelled. The 2 people shouted at her and at each other. Finally, she closed her eyes and ran in a random direction. One person gasped, but the other gave a deep chuckle. "Welcome back. Time to train." Rebecca opened her eyes and gasped as Slade grabbed her by the throat-"

"Becca? Becca wake up!" She jumped up and coughed. Robin patted her on the back and waited until she stopped gasping. "Are you ok?" "..ahm yea. Just a bad dream." "I heard you yelling in your sleep from the hall. Are you sure you're ok?" "Positive." He nodded. "Ok. Starfire is waiting for you upstairs. She wants to go shopping for the party." She nodded, and threw off the covers.

"Were you even paying attention to him?" "I...guess not." "Well, regardless, we must go to the mall and find a new clothing for our friend." Rebecca twiddled her fingers as Raven and Starfire explained what they were doing. It was a trip to the mall for outfits...for the anniversary party. "How come all of you roll your eyes and sigh whenever someone brings it up?" She asked. "Because we've seen this before." Cyborg explained. "Everyone with money or connections will be there. Might as well have a giant flashing sign with an arrow that say "Rob me, I'm an idiot with money." That ominous bell finally clicked. "It's going to be at the park in front of city hall isn't it?" Cyborg looked at her. "Yea. Didn't think the mayor said anything about that. He's trying to keep it quiet." "He didn't succeed. I investigated that place while..." She didn't finish, hoping she didn't have to. They all seemed to understand. "So, he knew. But he's locked up." "But if he knew, then others probably do too. We should be ready." Robin looked angry. "We all told him this was a bad idea. It's just begging for trouble." "But we'll be there to stop it." Beast Boy grinned. Robin nodded and went back to the computer. Cyborg shrugged and kept tinkering. They'd all expected some news like this. It didn't dampen any spirits, specifically Starfire or Raven's. The mall trip continued as planned.

They hit up every clothing store, and didn't walk out without at least one whole outfit for someone, usually Starfire. Rebecca walked around nervously at first, not really enjoying herself. But once she started seeing things she liked, she felt herself relax a little. Starfire threw virtually everything she could at Rebecca to try one. Raven was more modest, and tried to only give Rebecca things that would look good on her. She also gave Rebecca some tips on picking a dress for the party. "If we're expecting trouble, you should find one that's only slightly loose. You need to be able to move quickly. Too big and you'll trip, too small and it'll tear. Trust me it's a big distraction trying not to flash everyone while you're fighting." Rebecca nodded and sorted through her mound of clothes. She settled on a classic, dark green dress. It was medium length, coming down to a little under her knee, but a sleeveless v neck. Raven watched her look in the mirror, gauging her mood and her aura.

"You like it. It looks good on you. Your complexion goes well with it since it's darker, and it brings out the green in your eyes." "Oh, Rebecca you look beautiful!" She blushed and nodded. "I guess this one's it then." "Wonderful! Now we must find a dress for Raven." "I've got one already Star." She pointed to the bag on her arm. "Oh. Very well then, I suppose it's time to leave." She frowned, but Rebecca sighed. "Good. I didn't eat before we left and my feet are-" "Oh no! We cannot leave yet! We shall need shoes!" Rebecca's eyes widened, but Raven saved the day. "Let's do that tomorrow Starfire. I think the guys are waiting for us to come home." Starfire frowned again, but Rebecca smiled. She caught Raven's eye and mouthed "Thank you" before they left the store.

"Hey, Cy! The girls are back! Come help out!" Beast Boy yelled as he took some of the shopping bags from Starfire. They didn't see the other 2 guys until halfway to Starfire's room. Rebecca smiled to herself. When all the bags were delivered to their designated rooms, pizza was delivered, popcorn was popped, and all the Titans sat down for movie night. "What do we have tonight?" Becca asked Cyborg. "The Wanted. It has a loose serial killer and the only way cops can catch him is by enlisting another serial killer to help out. You'll like it it's a good one." Rebecca flinched a little but nodded. Beast Boy sat down and squeezed her arm. "It's not about you. Totally fictional. Just enjoy it ok?" "It's a little close to home BB." "Don't-" "Sh!" Raven hissed as the lights went out and the movie started. It would've been a great movie for anyone else, but for Rebecca it was like reliving her past. When the serial killer met his ex girlfriend, Rebecca stood up and reached for the Dvd player to shut it off, but Raven beat her to it. "I think we can skip this one." No one looked at Rebecca, but they all nodded. Cyborg apologized. "I'll pick a better one next time." The lights turned on, and everyone went to their rooms.

This time, it was Cyborg who knocked on Rebecca's door. He didn't walk in like BB or Raven, he just stood by the door. "I...wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't think about...how you'd react. Should've known." "It's fine Cy. Really. I should be apologizing. I ruined a good movie." He smirked a little. "How many people can say their life would back a cool movie? You should sell the rights to it." She chuckled a bit. "Not a bad idea. Take my money and go live a quiet life someone..." Cyborg's smile faded. "You know, we're all hoping you'll stay, but we won't force you. Will you at least say goodbye this time?" "I will. I promise. I won't just run off on you guys." He nodded, and waved as he left her room.

The nightmares continued, and as the party approached, the tension in the tower thickened visibly. Everyone tried to ignore it, and continue as they normally would, but everyone felt nervous. Nerves were stretched and tightened as the days passed, until, finally, they snapped.

"He called off the security!"

"He WHAT?" Robin kicked the couch and swore loudly. "He decided not to have any security! What is he thinking?"

"Is he trying to get everyone killed?"

"What can we do? If someone decides to attack-"

"We'll be spread too thin to protect everyone AND go after the bad guy!"

Rebecca watched the Titans scream at each other, letting all their stress from the past week boil over.

"That's enough!" Raven finally yelled and waved her hand. Bands of darkness covered everyone's mouth. "Arguing about this won't solve our problem. We have to think this through intelligently. We'll take watches during the party at the most vulnerable spots. If we can catch them before anything happens, we won't have to worry about anyone getting hurt." They all nodded, and the darkness disappeared. "She's right fighting like this won't help anything. I'll call Titan's East and see if they can help out. Every extra set of eyes we have will help."

"I'll help."

Everyone froze and looked at Rebecca. She met everyone's stare with her own before she continued. "I'm not a hero, but I won't let my friends suffer because they mayor was an idiot. I'll help watch. I know the area well, I can give you a good idea where to post people."

Robin nodded. "That'll be a huge help. Thank you." She nodded and watched them relax. The tension was gone. And later on that evening, everyone piled into the Tcar wearing their best clothes and drove off to the party.


	26. Chapter 26

The mayor went all out for the city's 50th anniversary. Ice sculptures, a banquet, live band, dance floor, complete with a fireworks show after the awards ceremony. Rebecca stood awkwardly by the punch bowl with Cyborg. The rest of the Titans rotated between the trees, rooftops, and the mayor who kept asking for reports. Rebecca couldn't help glaring at him whenever no one was looking. "Becca, Cyborg, do you copy?" Cyborg tapped his arm, "What is it Robin?" "The awards are going to start soon. Becca, you go and investigate the stage and podium, let us know if you see anything suspicious. Cyborg, take over for Raven, she's with the mayor." "Copy." Rebecca nodded and walked towards the stage. Off to the left side, by the back she could see the sound equipment. She casually strolled over and peaked around. Nothing out of the ordinary, just wires and speakers.

"Hey!" A deep voice grunted, making her jump. "Kids ain't allowed back here."

"Good thing I'm not a kid." She hissed and turned. A man, maybe 40 years old and severely beaten by the ugly stick was glaring at her. "You get out of here. You better not have touched-"

"Ah, Rebecca!" The mayor put a hand on her shoulder. "It's almost time, are you ready?"

"Uh, sir-"

"Now, now, don't be nervous. All you have to do is smile and accept the key. You don't need to make a speech or anything if you don't want to." Suddenly the music died down. "It's time Rebecca, let's hurry!" He grabbed her hand and rushed towards the stage. Becca was in full panic mode. She yanked her hand out of the mayor's as he walked up to the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen," The mayor began, and Rebecca stood awkwardly by the stage as the mayor continued his introduction. "- to the young woman who saw the error of her ways and helped the titans catch the most vicious and notorious criminal Jump City has ever had." Rebecca made a face as she stepped up. It sounded weird, the way he was telling her life story in such a positive way. "May I present, Ms Rebecca-"

The banquet table suddenly exploded, sending food and dishes flying everywhere. The Titans had already mobilized, looking for the source of the explosion. Rebecca took a step towards them when she heard a very faint whisper, "Psybeam..." Her heart fluttered, and in an instant she understood what to do. She felt a hand reach out and grab her as she closed her eyes, and seconds later the chaos of the party was replaced with the silence of the dead forest. Far on the edge of the city. "Awesome." The voice whispered, and a second later, Red X was standing in front of her. "How'd you do that?" "Because I'm cool enough to not only steal the suit, but figure out all of its secret toys." He crossed his arms and tilted his head, and she could almost see his cocky grin underneath the mask. "So, ready to go?" Rebecca hung her head, and he straightened up a bit. "You're...not coming, are you."

"I can't." The sudden wrenching pain in her chest was unbearable. He turned away from her. "Bullshit you can't. There's nothing stopping you anymore." "No, that's not it. That girl you met at the bar, she died. Weeks ago." He sighed. "I was afraid of that. Living with goody-goods sometimes rubs off on people. But I'd hoped..." She reached a hand out to him, and took a deep breath. "Yea. I hoped too." He turned towards her and took her hand in his. "I miss the old you, but I still wish the new one would come with me." She shook her head. "This isn't a new me. This is the original. The one you met was...just a phase." He nodded, "Doesn't change what I want." She flinched at the sound of his voice, but slowly stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him. "You know, I never thanked you for saving me. So...thanks." His body shook a bit, and suddenly he burst out laughing. "Wow, a thank you. Psybeam would never have thanked me. Wow..." He stepped back and tilted his head again. "You know, I'm not sure if this new girl and I would get along anyway. She seems a little...mushy for me." She glared and kicked him, but he jumped back. "Ah...good. That's the girl I like right there. It's good to know she's still in there somewhere." He stared at her for a moment. "If she...ever comes back, you let her know I'll be in Gotham, ok?" Rebecca nodded. "She won't be back." He sighed, and silently vanished.

It took Rebecca a few minutes to swallow her pain, but she managed to calm down enough to leave. She didn't go back to city hall. She went straight to the tower. When she opened her eyes, there was a green dog laying on the couch. He immediately jumped up, morphed back and simultaneously pulled out his communicator. "She's back, everyone come home." The voices from the communicator all yelled, but the only voice she could understand at the moment was Beast Boy's. "Are you ok?" "I'm fine." She could feel her knees starting to wobble, so she quickly sat down on the couch before he could notice. "What happened?" "Um..." She hadn't thought about how to answer this question. It took her a minute to decide what exactly to say. She decided on the truth. "BB, if I tell you...everything, will you promise not to judge me?" He looked confused, and worried. "Did you do something?" "I...left out some details when I told you about how I escaped room Slade. Some...private things that weren't very important. At least till tonight. I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure how everyone would react." He nodded. "You can trust us. You know that right?" "I trust you BB. The others...not as much. I'll tell you, and you can decide whether or not to tell them ok?" He nodded. "Alright, but they wouldn't care either." "Don't say that until you've heard everything."

And so she told him. Everything. From the very beginning with the fight with Robin, to the night she was arrested. He only stopped her once. "Can I see it?" She nodded and turned her head and ulled back her hair. She heard him hiss, "It looks awful." "It'll never go away." "He really did that to you?" She nodded and continued. She explained how Red X had saved her with an EMP, the old woman she carried home, how X had found her, and their museum heist together. She stopped at the hospital, after the nurse had looked at her head. They sat in silence until the others came home asking her the same questions. "Are you ok?" "What happened?" "Is everything alright?" She nodded, and stood up. "Beast Boy will tell you. "I'd...rather not repeat it." They all looked at BB, who kept staring at her. "I think I'll go to bed." She announced, and left without another word.

The next morning was just like all of last week. The tension was a presence that followed her from room to room, but she was the only one who'd seemed to notice it. Or at least was paying any attention to it. Everyone greeted her for breakfast, and went to their various hobbies for the day. Not really sure what else to do, Rebecca went to the roof, where Raven was meditating. "Sorry, I didn't-" Rebecca, can I talk to you please?" Raven asked. Rebecca nodded. "I didn't mean to interrupt." "No, I was actually waiting for you. You usually come up here when you're troubled." She smirked. "You know me better than I thought." "Well enough for anyone who pays attention." Raven gestured to the ground in front of her. Rebecca folded her legs and took a seat. "You seem tense today. I'd like to know why." Rebecca though for a moment. "I'm honestly not sure anymore. After...last night, I mean. I was expecting everyone to ask me a ton of questions, and yell at me for being stupid and siding with the enemy and letting him go to Gotham-"

"Batman is on alert by the way." Raven interrupted. Rebecca nodded and felt her stomach fold. "I guess I just wasn't expecting everyone to be so calm." "Compared to other things that you have done, this is nothing. And to be honest, we all expected you to make some kind of friend with the criminal world. We didn't quite expect Red X but..." Rebecca nodded, trying to push down the pain again. Raven's frown deepened. "I control my emotions because they are dangerous. So do you. Our powers are linked to them. But I also learned a long time ago that if I bottle up my emotions, they tend to build until I, and everything around me, explodes. Literally." Rebecca chuckled, but quickly stopped. She could feel her face swelling, her breathing hitch. "You need to let go. You need to vent them to someone, or something at least. I'm asking you, please talk to someone. If not me, then to Beast Boy. I know you're very close to him." She shook her head. "It hurts Raven. It's a physical pain." Raven grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Don't hold that pain in anymore." And she burst into tears. She cried and sobbed and choked for so long, she began to feel dehydrated. Raven mysteriously found a box of tissues and some water for her, and patiently waited until she was calm enough to talk again. "Do you regret not leaving?" "No. I know I was right, but I did really care about him." "He saved you, of course you did. I understand how difficult it was." Rebecca nodded, and tried taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Raven waited, and when she finally stopped sobbing, she smiled a bit. "Thank you. I do feel better." "It's good for girls to cry sometimes." Rebecca nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." "Good."

In the living room, the rest of the Titans were busy with odd jobs. Robin was on the computer, Cyborg and BB were playing games, while Starfire seemed to be cleaning out the fridge. Robin turned and spoke to Raven, but kept glancing at Rebecca. "So, do you think it's time?" Raven asked. Rebecca looked confused, but went over to sit by BB. Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Rebecca. "What?" She asked. "Something wrong?" "Nope." BB grinned. Robin stepped towards her. "We've all talked about this for a long time, but we always thought your answer would be no. But after what happened yesterday, we hoped you changed your mind." He held out a communicator with a black T. "We want you to join us."


	27. Chapter 27

Rebecca froze. Her arm tried to reach out and accept the gift, but she kept it pinned to her side as her mind raced. "I...honestly never really thought about it." Robin frowned. "We hoped, since you chose to stay last night..." "I haven't decided if I want to stay or not. But right now...I don't know." Everyone slumped and sighed. Robin took back the communicator and nodded. "Well, the offer stands. Go ahead and think it over, and if you change your mind, I'll keep it on me." She nodded. The computer beeped, drawing everyone's attention away from her. Robin quickly ran over and took a look. "Trouble?" Raven asked. "That's not the normal alarm..." He typed a few keys, and suddenly Chief Mason 's face appeared on the screen. "Chief? What's wrong?" "Hostage situation." "We're on it." "Wait! You have to bring Rebecca with you." Everyone froze and waited for a reason. "He's asking for her. Say's he'll kill the hostages if she doesn't show up." Robin glanced at her for a second. "Who is he?" "Says his name is Jason, but beyond that we have no idea." Something clicked in Rebecca's mind. "Do you know him?" BB asked. "No, but it sounds familiar...But I don't think I know him." "Doesn't matter. Rebecca, this is your decision. You don't have to-" "Of course I'll help." Robin nodded. "Alright, here's the plan."

Rebecca suddenly appeared just behind the police line. Several people yelled at her, but she didn't hesitate to duck under the tape and walk straight towards the grocery store. "Where are they?" "In the back, by the deli department." the device in her ear gave off a light buzz, but it was much better than nothing. "Be careful. Make sure he knows its you coming in, not cops or he'll shoot." The glass door was shattered, but still slid open for her when she approached it. "Who's there?"

"It's Rebecca!" She yelled. She didn't walk as quickly now. "I'm here, alone. Now let her go."

"Come to the back. By the deli. If you're armed, drop your weapon in the aisle on the way."

"I'm not armed." She walked slowly, trying to keep a close eye on her surroundings. Other than an eerie silence and the abandoned grocery carts, the store itself seemed perfectly normal. It wasn't until she reached the far back did she see the trouble. 3 cops, guns pointed to a young man. A woman kneeling execution style in front of him. His gun was right at her skull. If he fired, even she wouldn't be able to stop the bullet. He watched her approach slowly. She held up her hands to show she wasn't armed. "Let her go." "Make them leave." He gestured to the cops. "Guys, I got this." One tilted his head and nodded. "Chief says to go." The other 2 hesitated, but lowered their weapons and backed away quickly. A minute later, they heard the front doors sliding open and closed.

"You got me. Alone. And unarmed. Now let her go." His eyes shifted between the woman and Rebecca. "You don't look strong at all." "Didn't your mom ever tell you? Don't judge a book-" "No! No she didn't!"He spat at her. Rebecca took half a step back. Her powers flared, causing things to rattle around the room. His eyes widened in panic. "Stop it! Stop it or I'll shot!" She reigned herself in, and everything went still. He started taking deep breaths, keeping his gun right at the woman's skull. "You gotta calm him down. Get him to talk about himself." The mic in her ear whispered. "Hey, let's have a little chat hu? Just you and me. What's your name?" His face paled a bit. "You don't recognize me?" Rebecca shook her head. "Have we met before?" "It's Jason." That bell in her head rang again, but no memory came foreward. She shook her head again. "I don't think I know you." "Think back. Before you went to Gotham. Before Derek was born." "I was born in Gotham. And I don't know any Derek. Look, you've got the wrong person, it's ok." "No, I don't You're Rebecca McKennit. You have psychic powers. You can see the future. You can even heal people."

"Now, I know I have powers, but I definitely can't heal people."

"Yes, you can."

"And how do you know?"

"Because I was there! I remember." He shook his head angrily. "Damnit this was supposed to be easy."

"What?"

"Killing you. You should've died. But she chose you over me. Over Derek. You stole life, my life, and I want it back."

"Hey, alright. You want my life? Take it."

"Rebecca? What the hell are you doing! Stop-" She pulled the earpiece out and threw it on the floor. "Go ahead. Shoot me."

"What's the catch?"

"You let her go first."

He looked at the woman, and pulled his gun away. "Get out." She scrambled to her feet and bolted towards the door as he aimed at Rebecca. "Let's see how strong you are now." Rebecca watched closely, just as his trigger finger twitched, she waved her hand in front of her. The force of the impact made her stumble back, but there they were, 6 bullets floating inches from her chest in midair. They each only had half a second before they heard the from doors crash open. He turned and raced behind the deli counter, Rebecca right on his heels. Through the back room and out the door, Past the cops, around the squad cars, down the street, through the alley, and finally up the fire escape. "Gotcha." She muttered and concentrated. Suddenly she was up on the roof, just at the edge waiting for him to climb over. She heard the blast, but it took her a second to register the pain in her leg. She saw the gun disappear back over the edge of the roof before he pulled himself up. She stumbled back as he changed his clip very calmly. "You don't remember me?" "I've never met you before." He fired at her again, grazing her shoulder. "I know everything about you. Dad bailed, Mom hid you all over the world, then died because you couldn't control yourself. You lived with the Titans, until Slade got his dirty hands on you. Now you're trying to make up for what you've done." Rebecca flinched. This unnerved her. How did he know so much? "Who are you?" He watched her with his wild eyes. "No. This is too easy. When you remember me, come find me, and we'll settle this." Suddenly he fell face first. The gun flew out of his hands a few feet away. Robin had him in cuffs in an instant. "We'll know where to find you, scumbag." Rebecca sat down and sighed, still clutching her leg. Robin looked up and glared. "Headsets aren't really useful if you take them off." "I know. But I didn't need you screaming in my ear. I knew what I was doing." "Sacrificing yourself-" "Was a decoy." She interrupted. "I've stopped bullets before, but it's easier if they're shot from a distance. The range she was at, I wouldn't have had time. But if he emptied his clip on me, I knew I could." "So what's that?" He nodded at her leg. "Someone outsmarting me. It's fine though." He walked over to her, stepping on Jason's back. When Jason didn't grunt, she tried to get a better look. "You didn't have to tackle him so hard." "He's fine." "He's out cold." "Well, that's what happens when you try to brace you fall and your hands are busy holding a weapon. You hit the concrete face first." He seemed to shrug it off as he offered her his hand. She grabbed it awkwardly with her good arm, and he pulled her to her feet, supporting her weight. It wasn't until she was standing again did she notice something odd off in the distance. "What's that?" She pointed. Robin turned, and it hit both of them simultaneously. A tangled mess of wires, alarm clock, and several red sticks attached to it. A homemade bomb. "Teleport us." "I can't." 5. "Let's go." "Go you can't carry me." 4. He reached down to grab her around the thighs, but she cried out in pain. 3. "Get out." "I'm not leaving you again." 2. "I said go!" She waved at him, sending him flying back over the edge of the roof. 1. She waved again, tossing Jason's flailing body over the edge as well.

She's been crushed under several tons of steel, shot multiple times, even had her skull drilled into, but nothing she'd ever felt compared to this. The force of the explosion, shattering her bones. The heat of the flames searing her flesh. "So this is death. No peaceful ending. Just horrible pain."

"No sweetie. Death is peaceful, no matter how gruesome."

"A..voice? I know you."

"Rebecca, my little girl. You're not going to die. I made sure of that years ago."

"Mom...I've missed you."

"I know. I love you. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"My actions are the cause of your pain. I did what I thought was best, for everyone. I knew the price, but for you, I was willing to do anything."

"What are you talking about?"

"Please, tell him I love him, even from here, even after everything I've done. I never stopping thinking about them."

"Who?"

_Rebecca._

"Rebecca open your eyes."

_Please, Rebecca, open your eyes._

"You're not going to die. You will live. And you will keep making me proud."

_Becca, they said you're going to be fine. It's a miracle, but it's true._

"Mom, I love you."

"I love you too dear. Now, go home. Live. Live and be happy."

The pain was gone, but she still couldn't feel anything else. "_My eyes, where are they?_"

"Becca, c'mon. Squeeze my hand, open your eyes, grunt, anything, just tell me you're still here."

"_I'm here. But where am I? My voice...My eyes...Where am I? How do I move?_"

"The EKG is picking up brain function. Robin, keep talking to her. I think she's coming around!"

"Rebecca? Becca can you hear me?"

"_Yes._"

"C'mon, you're almost there. Just move, speak, do something."

"Hhh..."

"BB, go get everyone, she's waking up!"

"_My voice? What happened to it? My eyes." _

"Guys, hurry! She opening her eyes!"

"Rebecca!" 6 voices chanted simultaneously. The light hurt, but only in a mental way. It was bright, but there was no physical pain. Her eyes adjusted themselves, how long had they been closed? It took way too long. Finally, she could make out her friends, hovering over her. "Uhh."

"No, don't talk. You're still in bad shape."

My voice? Where'd it go? "Uhh..ung"

"No, stop, calm down." A stranger warned her. She couldn't see him.

"Rebecca? Can you speak?"

Her vision fogged again. How irritating. Starfire whimpered, and suddenly disappeared. "I think we should leaver her alone for a minute."

What? No way! "Uhh...ung, ah."

"No, we're staying. You can't speak can you?"

"Blink twice if you can't talk." BB offered helpfully. She closed her eyes once, then twice, making them fog even more. Damnit, I can't even wipe my eyes. Am I crying? "Hey, calm down." Cyborg reached out to her, but paused, and withdrew his hand. "You're alive, that's what matters."

"I think she's confused. Do you remember what happened? With Jason? Blink once for yes."

Close. Open.

"Well, that bomb should've killed you. No one knows how you survived, but you did. Barely." BB grinned proudly.

"But you were burned, badly. And most of your bones were broken." The stranger stepped up in Starfire's place. A man in a white coat. He leaned closer to her. "You've made...ha, to call it extraordinary is a huge understatement, but extraordinary progress. But you still have a long way to go."

She glared. How long?

"Um...Rebecca, you'll be here for a long time. You...your, I mean." BB looked away. What, am I naked? Oh god I hope not.

"Allow me." Raven reached out to her. Is she touching me? Why can't I feel it? An image fluttered into her mind. A white room, the Titan's waiting outside, except Robin. Through the window, she could see Robin, sitting next to the..thing in the bed. The thing looked like a piece of burned charcoal. Oh god...

There's...nothing left. No skin, no hair, nothing left to even tell that this...thing was once a gifted girl. The vision fogged again, Her breathing hitched in her chest, oh god! "Ahhhhh..." Their faces paled. "What did you show her?"

"The truth. She's in no condition to do anything, and she needed to know."

"You had to show her? You couldn't have done it a bit more gently?"

"Ahhh..." oh god, the pain! It hurts so much.

"Get out now."

"No!"

"I'm putting her under again."

"What? Why?"

"She's screaming, can't you see that? Crying hurts! I'm putting her under so she'll stop and heal, this isn't helping!"

No, please, I want to stay awake...

"Becca, calm down"

Too late. The pain dwindled, but the fog in her eyes stayed until she couldn't keep them open anymore.

This was different from the last time. She could hear everything, but this time, she didn't want to wake up.

"This...this isn't human."

"What does it matter?"

"We could study this. We could replicate it. Can you imagine all the good we could do? If we could find that specific gene that allows her to heal like this, we could cure cancer!"

"You're not studying her like a lab rat."

"Just a vial of blood, that's all I'm asking for."

"No! When she's better, she can tell you if it's ok or not. But until she does, I'm telling you no!"

What does it matter? Even if I'm here forever, I'll always look like a piece of firewood.

"Rebecca, please wake up."

Raven. Why should I?

"I can hear you, you know. I should've told you more gently. I apologize."

No, I would've figure it out anyway.

"Nonetheless. I thought you'd like to see how much progress you've made."

Apparently it 'extraordinary.

"You honestly can't imagine. Let me show you." A new image, but similar. The titans all outside the room now. Robin and Cyborg are arguing with the doctor. But the window into the room is still open.

Is that...it can't be.

"It is. You're skin is back. It's still scar tissue, but it's slowly coming back. Even your hair."

How long have I been here?

"2 months."

That...that can't be right.

"It is. The doctors have no idea what's going on."

I don't either.

"I think I know. Rebecca, think about how many times you've been in the hospital. You even had a hole drilled into your skull. No one should be able to survive the things you have."

So...how am I doing this?

"I think it's your gift. I think it's more than any psychic abilities. I think...you're immortal."

What? That's impossible.

"Maybe. Perhaps you just have an accelerated healing process. But you shouldn't have survived that bomb, and you did. I think there's more to your gift we should explore."

...Maybe.

"Very well. Rebecca, for the record, I'm glad you survived."

Thank you.

3 months. That was all it took to take a charcoal briquette and turn it back into Rebecca. Her hair was shorter, her voice was slightly deeper, her limbs shaky, but she was very much alive. When she finally woke up on her own, she was able to tell the doctor herself to "Go ahead, take a vial of my blood, then shove it." Which he did gladly. The next day he returned forlorn. "Nothing. Your DNA is completely human." She smirked. "You thought I was an alien?"

"I thought you were an evolved human. One with regenerative capabilites we could share with the world."

"Sorry Doc. I didn't even know I could do this."

"Yes they told me. Well, it was worth a shot. How are you feeling."

"Back to normal, for the most part." She ran her hand through her hair and grimmaced. "I miss my hair."

"It'll grow back, give it time."

"Yea, I know. So can I go home now?"

He nodded. "I'm filling out your release paperwork now. No crime fighting until your mobility is better. Cyborg has assured me he will monitor you to make sure you do your physical therapy."

She nodded and stood up from the bed slowly. Her wobbly legs were getting stronger already, but she still had to walk slowly. "You're not going to make me use crutches or anything are you?"

"Honestly, by the time we sized you for some, you wouldn't need them. I see no point."

She laughed. "Good, I wouldn't use them anyway."

"So I've heard..."

Was that a dirty look he gave her? She wasn't sure, but Cyborg knocked on the window distracting her from her smart mouthed comment. "Ready to go home? Tcar's outside." "Awesome. Thanks Doc." She waved. He gave a reluctant wave back as she followed Cyborg outside to the Tcar. "Last time I was here, it was because of Slade." She stared at the car, parked infront of the same entrance. "Deja vu." "C'mon girl! They're waiting for us at the tower!" She smiled and hobbled into the Tcar.

The Titan's all greeted her warmly and welcomed her home with a modest party. Pizza, cake and music, who could ask for more? "Rebecca, I am conflicted." "What's wrong Star?" "I miss your long beautiful hair." "Yea me too." "But I do believe tht your shorter hair matches the shape of your face very well." "Really?" "Truely." "Aw thanks Star." "She's right. It draws attention to your eyes and smile. I like it too." "Thanks BB." Beast Boy glanced at Robin, who was gazing steadily at her. "What do you think?" Robin shrugged. "I think it'll be easier to manage, and it won't get in the way as much. Ow!" He jumped suddenly and glared at Cyborg. "Yea, I guess you're right." Rebecca smiled and took another bite of her cake. Suddenly the lights begin flashing as the alarm blares. The Titan's groan as Robin leaps up and checks the computer. "Robbery. Titan's, time to go." They all stood up and ran towards the door. Robin held back, "Will you be ok?" "I'll be fine. Hurry up or I'll eat all the cake." He nodded and ran off after them.

An hour later, Rebecca had more than her fill of cake. Bloated and nauscious, she decided to head to the roof and wait till the Titans came home. Up there, she could enjoy the view of the bay and get some much needed sun and fresh air. She wasn't up there long before she heard the door open. "Hey, welcome home." She turned and saw Robin closing the door behind him. "Thanks. Can I join you?" "Uh, sure."

He walked over and sat down next to her. They sat uncomfortably for a while before Rebecca finally broke the silence. "So, um, do you still have that communicator?" Robin stared at her open mouthed for a minute before he stammered, "Y, yea. I do. Do you, I mean, why do you ask?"

"Well, I've been thinking for a while now. About you. And, well, I never honestly thought I'd forgive you, or look at you the same way after the radio tower." He nodded and bowed his head a bit. "But, it turns out, I was wrong." His head jerked up. "Robin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been holding that over you for so long. I was angry, but I understand why you left. I've understood for a while now, but I just couldn't let go until the bomb."

He nodded. "It's alright. I don't blame you for being angry. I figured that's why you didn't want to be a Titan, because of me."

"Partially. The other part, I'm still not sure if I'm really cut out to be a hero. But when I was in that coma, I.." She chuckled. "You're gonna think I'm crazy."

"You saw your mom?"

She nodded. "I didn't really SEE her, but she spoke to me. She said she was proud."

"Any parent wold be."

"I guess. I'm just grateful she wasn't mad at me, for Slade."

"No. I remember your mom. She didn't seem like the kind of person who would hold a grudge."

"No. You're right, she wasn't." She smiled. "If being a Titan makes her happy, if she thinks I can do it, then why not at least try? Y'know what I mean."

"Yea, I understand."

"So," She stood up, grabbing Robin's hand and pulling him to his feet as well. He reached into a pocket and pulled out the extra communicator. "Robin, I forgive you, and I apologize for being such a jerk about it for so long."

"Rebecca, I want you a member of my team. Will you join the Titans?"

"Why not?" She grinned. He grinned back and handed her the communicator.

When Rebecca walked into the living room holding that communicator, the room turned into a massive tornado or hugs, congratulations, and smiles. "I knew you'd come around someday." BB squeezed her the tightest. "You know me too well Best Boy." "Are you kidding? I don't even know your favorite color." "Blue, for the record." They laughed. "Well, let's let the newbie pick the movie tonight then." Cyborg held up a stack of movies. "We got kungfu, comedies, drama, romance, action,-" Cyborg made a face at the romance one. "I'm in a good mood, let's watch something fun. I choose comedy." "Comedy it is!" Cyborg throw all except one across the room and rushes towards the dvd player, when suddenly the alarm goes off again. He frowned as everyone groaned, and walked over to the computer. "Trouble. Rebecca, you stay here." "What? I'm a Titan now, shouldn't I help." "No!" Cyborg yelled. "You're still not in top shape yet." Robin checked the computer behind him as Rebcca yelled back. "I can take anything anyone throws at me. Robin, you gotta-" "You're staying behind." "What? Why?" "Because Cyborg is right. You're still recovering." She eyed him curiously. "There's more. Who is it?" He frowned and bowed his head. "It's Jason. He's escaped."


	28. Chapter 28

"All the more reason I should go." "No. You're the one he wants." "Exactly. He'll use you guys to get to me, I've seen it before with Neiro." "He won't catch us. We'll be fine. And you'll be safer here, out of his reach until we lock him up again." Rebecca glared, Robin gazed back at her steadily. "Rebecca, I don't want to test the limits of your healing. You're still in no-" A second alarm went off. Cyborg typed rapidly into the computer, muttering swears under his breath. "More trouble." "No, that's the perimeter alarm. Someone's here, I'm pulling up the camera now so we can see who." The screen darkened. The image was grainy, but they could easily tell who it was. "I wanna see Rebecca." Jason pounded on the door, screaming.

"Perfect. Not everyday trouble comes to us instead of us having to chase it down." "Who is he?" Rebecca asked, unintentionally out loud. "We aren't sure. His fingerprints didn't match anyone in the criminal database, and we're still waiting on DNA results." "I wanna see Rebecca McKennit! I know she's out of the hospital, I know she's here!" Rebecca stared at the image, that nagging little bell ringing in her head again. "I know him. I don't know how or when, but I think I really do know him." "Doesn't matter. We don't allow people to take hostages. Especially to hurt one of our teammates. Titans G-"

"Wait!" Rebecca yelled. "Do we have a mic to the outside?" Cyborg scoffed. "Girl, what kind of place do ya think I built? Of course there's a mic." "Let me talk to him from here. Let me figure out who he is." They all glanced at Robin, who kept glancing back and forth between the image and her face. "5 minutes. He's still and escapee, it's our job to send him back to jail." Rebecca nodded as Cyborg started typing again. "Here." He pointed to a tiny hole in the wall next to the computer. "I've booted it up. Just press the space bar while you're talking, like a walkie talkie." She sat down in the computer chair and held down the space bar. "Jason." She yelled into the tiny hole. Jason flinched on the screen. "Geez, not so loud, I can hear you fine." "What do you want with me?" "I want my life back. I should be the one with the powers, not you." "Why? What makes you think you deserve them?" He shook his head. "You still don't remember me. Come down here and I'll tell you."

Robin next to her held up 4 fingers. 4 minutes left. "I'm not an idiot, unlike someone. What on earth made you think it was a good idea to come to the tower? Did you think we'd let you walk away?" "We? You're talking like you're one of them." "So what if I'm a Titan?" He laughed. "You're no hero. You're a coward. Look at you now, hiding inside. You gonna force your friends to take care of me?" She flinched, and glanced at Robin, who shook his head slowly. "You're not going down there. Just ignore him." But he continued, "You let your mom's ex kill your friends. You even left your mom to rot in prison. You betrayed the people who took you in, including the Titans, who are STILL protecting you. If you're a hero, then I'm Superman."

"How do you know so much about me?"

"Oh I've been looking for you for a VERY long time." He leaned casually against the wall. Robin held up 3 more fingers. "Why? Why are you so obsessed with me? Looking for a date?" The revulsion on his face was unmistakeable. "Oh, you definitely don't remember me, or you'd be ashamed to even think about that. Disgusting." Hu? Rebecca wasn't attracted to him in the least bit, but why would she be ashamed? A clue. Robin held up 2 fingers.

"Don't lie, you know you're attracted to this hot stuff in here." She almost choked on that last bit. Beast Boy covered his mouth, Robin shook his head. Even Raven face palmed. But Jason looked horrified. "You're disgusting. Looking past the truth, I don't think I would date a piece of firewood." That sobered everyone up. Robin pointed to the door. "Keep him talking. Go!"

"No!" Rebecca bolted towards the door and closed her eyes. An instant later, she slammed into Jason pinning him to the door. "I am not a coward. And it's your fault I look like this." Jason craned his neck behind him, trying to look at her. "Well, maybe not firewood, but still, that's just gross." She yelled and lifted him high into the air. Just as the Titan's opened the door, she slammed her fist into the ground, forming a huge crater just outside the door. He groaned, and started laughing. "Who are you?" He rolled over and smiled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She took one step closer, and her jaw dropped. The ringing bell in her head had finally smashed. She still had no idea who he was, but she knew where to begin now. "You...your eyes. This isn't possible. Just a coincidence." "Is it Becky?" She closed her eyes, and a second later fell onto her bed, and wept.

It was a while later when someone knocked on her door. "Its open." She yelled. Robin stepped in, with the other Titan's behind him. "We got the results from Jason's DNA." She looked at Robin hopefully, but he gazed at her steadily. "He can't be." "It's true." "But I'd remember something like that, wouldn't I?" "He was 5 when he was sent to his first foster home." "No, she would've told me." "I'm sorry. But he really is your brother." Rebecca nodded. She'd cried over this for long enough. "I need some answers. I have to see him." "There's...more." "What do you mean more?" They all looked at each other, waiting for someone to take the lead and start talking. No one did. "What's more?" Finally, Robin sighed, and sat down on her bed next to her. "His DNA was a partial match to 2 people in the criminal database. The first was yours." "There's someone else?" He nodded. "I don't think anyone, maybe not even HE knows about you." "Who is it." Robin hesitated, shook his head. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out. Jason's DNA was a partial match to...Slade. Slade is Jason's father."

Nothing seemed real at that moment. Rebecca could see her friends, feel the soft sheets of her bed, but it was like someone else was feeling it for her. Her thoughts were tumbling around in her brain, nothing would settle into place properly. Sort or like being being in a washing machine, except your whole body is completely numb. Everything churning, nothing making sense, but not able to feel any of the chaos. Eventually, the washing machine stopped, and everything settled into place just long enough for her to really feel it.

"...No."

"I'm sorry."

"No, there has to be a mistake."  
"The tests were done twice."

"Well do it again! It's not...true..."

"I'm sorry Rebecca. I can't...I'm so sorry..."

She couldn't cry anymore. It all made sense. Her mother's comments, Jason's disgust with her poor attempts to flirt. It fit together too perfectly to be a coincidence. "I need answers. I'll go...talk to Slade tomorrow."

"We'll go with you." Raven's voice broke the rest's silence. "It's all gonna be fine. This doesn't change a thing." BB gave her another big hug. "This is wrong..." Starfire kept mumbling. "It'll be fine girl. We'll go with you tomorrow." Cyborg patted her shoulder, and left the room holding Starfire, who looks like she was on the verge of tears. "You should try to get some sleep. We'll leave first thing in the morning." She nodded at Raven, who left just before Beast Boy gave her one final squeeze. Robin placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We're here for you. It'll all be fine. Try to get some sleep, okay?" Rebecca nodded, and watched him leave.

She sat in her bed for a long time before she became frustrated, and went to the roof. Robin was already up there. She tried to close the door and leave him alone, "Hey, I was wondering when you'd come up here." He smiled gently at her. She frowned. "I thought only Beast Boy knew me so well." "I knew your favorite color was blue before you told him." She smiled, and joined him on the ledge. "Can't sleep?" "Would you be able to?" "No, I wouldn't. So I thought I'd keep you company up here." She looked at him again, searching for some alterior motive. Watching me? Making sure I don't run off alone? But he seemed genuine. "Thank you." "Anytime. I think you attract more trouble than the rest of us put together." "Well, I think I just proved your theory." He smiled. "Yea, maybe so." "Still think it's a good idea for me to be on your team?" "Of course I do." He now looked genuinely insulted. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" "If Slade is really..." She couldn't say it, but he got the picture. "You didn't even know him before you came here." "Apparently I did." "Doesn't matter. I'd still trust you with my life." She sighed, and relaxed a bit. "You weren't honestly worried about that were you?" "Not really, but I do feel a little better." "Good." They watched the stars in silence for a while, when she suddenly felt something warm over her shoulders. She looked over at Robin, who was holding his cape over her. "You were shivering." "Oh, thanks." "Sure." She wrapped it closer to her. He looked odd without it, but it warmed her up quickly. "Guess I should've grabbed a jacket." "Want me to grab you one?" "No. I'm ok now." She tried to hand it back, but he shook his head. "Keep it. I'm fine. This suit is built for this kind of stuff." She nodded and pulled the cape a bit tighter.

The next time Rebecca opened her eyes, the sun was up. It was a beautiful sunrise. She admired it for a second before she realized just how comfortable she was. She suddenly jumped up like something had shocked her. Robin jolted and looked around confused. "I'm sorry!" She blurted out.

"What?"

"I'm...so sorry!" "For what?" "Um..." She didn't want to say it out loud. He still seemed confused. He looked up at the sunrise and smiled. "It's pretty hu?" "Yea." "So..uh, did you-" "Yea. I'm sorry." "It's alright. Didn't bother me. You insisted on staying up here, so I put you over here where you wouldn't fall and tried to keep watch and make sure nothing happened. I'm sorry I crashed." "No, it's fine. I should've gone to bed." Did I really insist on staying up here? She didn't remember. "We should head down." "Yea." Rebecca bent down and picked up his cape. He refastened it quickly and held open the door for her as they went back inside. Beast Boy was already up making breakfast. "Good morning!" "Morning BB." Rebecca smiled, trying to forget the awkwardness from a few minutes ago. "Hungry? No one else is up yet and I thought breakfast would be good this morning." He eyes Rebecca, who nodded appreciatively. "Yea. Breakfast does sound good." "Great, there's lots of pancakes, and I got some tofu bacon frying!" "Uh hu! You are NOT cooking fake meat in my kitchen!" Cyborg was apparently awake now, and quickly fell into his argument with Beast Boy. Robin and Rebecca watched, eating their pancakes until Starfire and Raven woke up. Once everyone had settled down and eaten their fill, they all glanced at Rebecca. "I guess I shouldn't put this off anymore." "Are you sure you wanna do this?" She finished her orange juice and nodded. "I need answers. They're the only ones who can give them to me." Beast boy nodded. "We'll be there too. If anyone tries anything funny, we'll take'em down again." She gave him a half-hearted smile. "Thanks guys."

"Hey, Becca." "Hm?" She turned back at her friends. "Are you certain you want to do this alone?" Raven asked. "Yes. He can't hurt me." "We know, but..." Beast Boy faltered. "Just be careful anyway, alright?" She nodded at Cyborg. "I'll yell if I need you." She opened the door into the interrogation room, courtesy of the warden who remembered Rebecca's mother as a "Sweet woman." Slade was already in there, waiting for her. He watched her patiently as she took the chair across from him. "My, my. Looks like someone lost a fight." Rebecca stared at him as all of her fears slowly sank in. She wanted to run back out, to leave this place alone and never think about any of this again, to forget she ever heard anything about her father or her brother. But she knew running away wasn't the answer. And she would always wonder about the truth. She looked him in the eyes, eyes she'd never seen while living with him. She remembered her mother telling her she had her father's eyes. And there they were, her eyes staring right back at her.

"The way you're staring at me...You're not here for fun are you?" "Would I ever visit you just for fun?" He sighed and slouched in the chair. "So, I guess you figured it out. Who finally told you?" The table quivered s her powers flared. "You knew...All along you knew who I was?" "Of course I did. You look so much like your mother, I didn't believe it until I heard the reports that she'd died, leaving behind a daughter. Although I did wonder what happened to the other 2." "2?" Rebecca's breathing hitched. 2? She had 2 siblings? "Oh? You didn't know?" "No. I only knew Jason. So...Derek...He's talked about Derek." "There you have it." She clenched her fist, trying to calm down. She would NOT start crying, she would NOT lose control. Not in front of HIM.

"So I supposed you're here for a story aren't you? Well, since you've been so kind to come and visit, I shall give it to you. Once upon a time-"

"Stop it."

"There was a young boy and a young girl who fell in love. Now, when I say young, I mean they were in high school still. The classic tale of two high school sweethearts who get married and settle down right after graduation. The girl was pregnant before she was even old enough to vote."

Rebecca started to regain control of her breathing. "Stop treating this like it's a fairytale."

He ignored her. "Well, life was happy. It wasn't long until the happy couple already had 2 children, a boy and girl, and one more on the way. But times were hard. Providing for a family is difficult, and the man began to worry. He was an inventor, but his inventions weren't selling, and no one would fund him to create more. His wife was patient, loving, and supportive. He watched her smile as she started to lose weight, feeding the children and her husband before herself. That was when he'd had enough." Slade paused. Neither of them said anything for a moment. "He started small. Cheating at gambling. He was clever enough to count the cards and fix the machines. But his cleverness was noticed. Soon he came into organized crime. His wife had noticed a sudden change. Their lives were better, but she did not understand why. So she followed him one night, and found out the truth. She was...upset. Her husband had deceived her, was putting himself and his family in danger. He tried to reassure her, but she wouldn't have it. He would quit, and return to honest work. For her, he would do anything..."

"Except he didn't." Rebecca finally spoke. "He couldn't stay away."

"Ah, too true. But organized crime wasn't enough. He began inventing weapons, moving up in the ranks. Eventually, his plans exceeded what he could hide from his wife. But something happened." He glared at her. "Soon after the second son was born, the little girl got very sick. No one understood what was wrong. She was dying, and no one cold save her. But the wife had a secret. One she'd never told anyone, not even her loving husband." He leaned closer to her. "She had a gift. A very special gift from her family bloodline. A power that was passed on from person to person. She could move things with her mind, teleport, even see things in the future. But the most impressive part of her gift? Healing. While the wife had this gift, she was virtually immortal. So, to save her dying baby, she passed it onto her. The husband...he was very upset."

"She hid it from you. You wanted to use her, like a weapon."

"As a partner. With his inventions and her abilities, they could've taken over the world."

"But she didn't want that."

"NO!" He spat. "She was fine with living in a hole? With 3 starving children? I was not! When she told me the truth, I'd had enough."

"So you left her, alone, with 3 children."

Slade grinned maliciously. "Imagine his surprise when she turned up in his town again, with his little girl, all grown up and confused."

"You knew...all along that I was..."

"What does it matter? Like mother like daughter. Both of you turned out to be failed experiments."

Rebecca threw her hands out, slamming Slade against the wall. "She deserved better than you."

"She already had the best, but that wasn't what she wanted."

"She had a scumbag. Leaving was the best thing you could do for you wife and children." She let him go and he fell on the floor laughing. "Tell that to your orphaned brothers. She probably gave them to to protect them from her out of control daughter. Was my leaving the best thing possible for them?"

Rebecca walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against it, listening to him laugh at her. "Rebecca..." "Don't." She shook her head. "Just...give me a minute." Her blood boiled. She wanted to kill him, more than anything in this world she wanted him to suffer as much as she, her mother and her brothers had. "I'm done with him." She told the warden, who nodded and waved to the guards to take him away. She could hear his laughter all the way down the hall. "C'mon, let's go home." "Not yet. I have to see Jason now." Robin shook his head. "Tomorrow." "No. Now. Tomorrow I might not have the courage to do this."


	29. Chapter 29

"Jason..." He grinned. "You look terrible." She nodded and sat down. "I've definitely been better." "So do you remember me yet?" She shook her head. "I still don't remember anything before Gotham, but Mom used to tell me I have Dad's eyes. You have hers." His grin faded into a glare. He looked away and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"

"Jason, you're my brother, I don't want to see you here, I wanna help you."

"You are the LAST person I want help from."

"Why? Why do you the me? Why do you want to kill me?"

"BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE DEAD ALREADY!" He stood and screamed at her. She flinched, but he kept yelling. "If you'd just died, I wouldn't have been left behind, I'd have your powers, they would still be here!" He took a deep breath and sat back down, crossing his arms and gazing at the table between them.

"You're right." Rebecca whispered.

He looked up at her. "What?"

"You're right. Maybe...I should've died. All these powers have ever brought me is pain." She closed her eyes and looked away. "Jason, I'm not ready to die. I've finally found a good place with the Titans. But maybe there's still a way for me to fix this."

"What are you talking about?"

"I need to look at something first, but I'll be back. If I can fix this, you have to promise me you'll never use them to hurt anyone."

He eyed her skeptically, "What are you talking about?"

"Mom passed these powers to me. Maybe I can pass them to someone else." His eyes widened. The door behind her suddenly flew open. "Rebecca, it's time to go." Robin was giving her the most menacing look she'd ever seen. He obviously was furious, and having trouble holding it in. She looked back at Jason, who still seemed aghast. "If I can figure out how, I will be back. I promise." He huffed and looked away as Rebecca stood up. She tried to smile at him, but his attitude towards her combined with thoughts of the coming argument made her look sick. "See you bro." Robin grabbed her hand and half dragged her outside. Past the Titans and out of the building.

"I'm not going to let you do this." He finally stopped and let her go. "You can't seriously be thinking about this? He tried to kill you and you want to help him?!"

"Robin, he's my brother, I have to do something."

"Visit him, talk to him, but giving him your powers is just like giving a criminal a gun."

"He's not a criminal, he's just angry and he has every right to be."

"Hey guys?" Cyborg interrupted, "Shouldn't we do this somewhere a bit more private?" They both looked around at the growing crowd, who all suddenly looked busy, avoiding their gaze. "Fine." Robin's glare hadn't faded yet. "This isn't over." Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I'll meet you guys back at the tower." She closed her eyes, and vanished.

Rebecca sat on the couch, tapping her foot in irritation. "Who is he to decide what I can or can't do? Jason's my brother, I can't just leave him to rot like that." The door finally opened. Robin hurried over to the couch and stared her down. "I can't let you do this. He tried to kill you." "He has every right to hate me."

"No, he doesn't." Everyone said it at the same time. It would've been eerie if Rebecca hadn't been so irritated.

"Your mom did what she had to to protect all her children." Raven was standing just behind Robin.

"Any decent parent would've done the same thing." Beast Boy sat down next to her.

Cyborg and Starfire stayed off to the side, but Rebecca could still see them. The line was drawn, Rebecca sitting on the couch, Beast boy at her side, always supporting her. Robin and the other Titans standing, staring her down. Each with the same look on their face, the look that says 'no'. "Guys, if it weren't for me, if I'd died, none of this would've happened."

"Do you really hate your life that much?"

"No! Being a Titan, being here with my friends, it's like lighting a match in a dark room. There's light, but not nearly enough."

"Rebecca, you need to think this through more." Raven interrupted Robin's rant.

"If you give away your powers, could you still be a Titan? You'd be in danger constantly."

"I can fight just as well as Robin can."

"No, you can't." His glare still hadn't let up, but Rebecca's irritation was at the breaking point. She stood up and got right in his face. "I'll prove it to you." He blinked, "What?" "Sparing match. I won't use my powers. If I can beat you, I'll still be and asset to the team."

"If I win, you'll reconsider. You won't do anything at least until his sentence is served." She nodded. He stepped back and nodded. "I can agree to that. Let's do this in the gym." "Less to break in there." Rebecca sneered. He ignored her jibe, and led the Titans upstairs.

Rebecca checked her pads, making sure they were nice and tight. Robin was facing her from the opposite side of the mat, already set in his own kickboxing pads. "No powers?" "No." She confirmed, and set her stance. "I won't go easy on you." "Wouldn't be necessary anyway." She gloated. He positioned himself, and slowly stepped closer. "All I'm asking is that you reconsider once he's served his time." "I don't want him to hate me. If I leave him there, he's just going to seethe until nothing I can do will help." "We'll see."

He raced towards her. She braced herself and watched as he paused just in front of her, shifting his weight. She lifted her arm just in time to block his kick to her head. She wrapped her other arm around it, and wretched it downward, but he yanked it free at the last second.

"Hey!" He yelled. "I'm not trying to kill you!"

She didn't say anything, but knew he was right. She would have to rethink her training with Slade, who taught her to end fights quickly and permanently. That move should've broken his leg, crippling him, but he was smarter that the bots she used to destroy. She punched, but he ducked and upper cut her. She stumbled back, but he kept on her. He swept his leg, trying to trip her, but she jumped over it, resisting the urge to jump on it. She kicked him in the chest, and he flew backwards, landing at the edge of the mat. He groaned, but picked himself up and raced towards her again. Se dodged his first 2 punches, catching his third. She remembered Slade using this same move on her long ago, pivoting so she was holding his arm over her should, then pulling him over her head and slamming him into the ground. It worked just as well on him, leaving him breathless on the ground, but made her feel nauseous.

"This isn't what I wanted..." She stepped back and waited for him to get up. "I don't want to hurt you." "I can't let you free him." "He didn't hurt anyone, except me! Why does it matter?" "He's still taken hostages, blown up a building, and tried to kill, he's a criminal and he needs to pay for it." He's got a point, she admitted to herself. Despite all her gloating and confidence, Rebecca knew very well that Robin could beat her. She waited for him to make the next move, opening her stance a bit wider. Too wide, she knew. She could see his eyes glance quickly at her feet. She wouldn't be able to keep her balance with her feet so far apart, one solid push and she'd be on the ground again...exactly what she was hoping for. He raced towards her, talking the bait.

He jumped, a flying kick. She blocked with her arms, but still fell backwards. Before she could get up, Robin planted a foot on her chest. "Rebecca, it's over." She glared at him, but nodded. "I'll wait until he's out, then we'll see. The Titan's all breathed a sigh of relief, as Robin offered her a hand up. "You let me win." He whispered. "I did what now?" "Great, so is everything ok now? Cuz I could really go for some pizza." Cyborg yawned. "Yea, pizza sounds great." Beast Boy grinned, and everyone agreed. While putting away the pads, Robin grabbed Rebecca's hand. "Why'd you let me win?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "C'mon, your stance was way too wide. As much as I hate to say it, I know Slade's a better teacher than that." Rebecca eyed him curiously. How DID he know that? "Because you were right, as usual. I can't give him my powers until he's out of jail. If I do it now, he'll use it to escape, or even if he doesn't they might send him to Arkham with the other really dangerous criminals. Besides, I still have to-"


	30. Chapter 30

It was completely out of the blue. One minute they were talking like friends, the next she was shoving him away. He fell back, horrified. "I-I'm so sorry!" "You just...you tried to..." She couldn't spit it out. It was so crazy, so sudden, she couldn't even think. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Robin stood up, and before she could say anything else he left the room. She stood there, trying to make sense of what happened. "Let's retrace my steps. I was talking about Jason, I still have to look up how to give away my powers, then he-" She stuttered. "He just, UG! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!"

"Hey Rebecca? Everyone is waiting for you." Raven walked into the room. "What's happened?" "Nothing!" Raven's eyes narrowed. "What happened?" "Nothing really!" Rebecca blushed and looked away. "C'mon, let's go." Rebecca walked out a little too quickly, but Raven caught up and grabbed her wrist. "What happened?" Rebecca couldn't look at her, so instead she kept her gaze on the floor. "Nothing, really." "Don't make me use my telepathy on you." Rebecca flinched. No, better to tell her than for her to actually SEE what happened. "Robin...he, just, I mean he..." Raven's eyes widened. "Please tell me he did not kiss you." Rebecca's blush deepened as she nodded. Raven finally let go of her wrist. "So he finally found his courage. You know he's liked you for a while now." Rebecca finally looked up at her. "He...what?" "You haven't noticed have you?" "No." "You're a fool then. Maybe you should start paying a bit more attention to how people act around you." "Uh...hu?" Raven shook her head. "Nevermind. Let's go, everyone is hungry." "Oh...kay."

Rebecca expected pizza to be the most awkward experience of her life. Mercifully, she couldn't have been more wrong. Once Beast Boy and Cyborg had finished their usual argument over real or fake food, everyone began chatting merrily. Rebecca stayed quiet, trying to take Raven's advice and pay attention to the people around her. Raven was reading mostly, Robin was trying to explain the difference between ranch and mayo, which Starfire had started dipping her pizza into. Cyborg and Beast Boy were talking about a new movie that had come out and how cool it must be. Rebecca tried to pay attention to everyone, but she caught herself looking at Robin the most. Robin for his part would occasionally shift towards her, then catch himself and keep his eyes on Starfire. Rebecca wasn't sure why, but this seemed to irritate her. If he was going to pretend she didn't exist, then why couldn't she just do the same?

That thought caught her off guard. Why COULDN'T she do the same? She finally gave up and just stared openly at Robin. He shifted again, but this time didn't stop himself. They both stared openly at each other. "Ahem." Rebecca jumped and looked around. The other Titan's had stopped talking and watching her and Robin. "I'm gonna go get some more soda." Robin announced and quickly stood up and left, leaving Rebecca alone with several odd looks. "Coward..." She muttered under her breath. "Are you alright girl?" Cyborg asked. "Yea, there's a bee flying around and I didn't want to get stung." "A bee?" She nodded and took another bite of pizza, avoiding everyone's gaze. It was a long time before Robin came back, but when he finally did, he was sprinting towards them. "It's Killer Moth! And Kitten! They're at the Jewelers on 59th and Broadway!" Rebecca was only a half second behind them as everyone stood and raced out the door towards the Tcar.

They could see the trouble from miles away, a swarm of bugs flooding the streets. They were still far away, but there was no way they could get closer through that swarm. Cyborg pulled off to the side right behind Robin, who leaped off the car, pulled out his stave and starting smashing bugs left and right. Cyborg blasted them with his cannon, Beast Boy morphed into an eagle and led a group away, Raven's hands turned black as a giant black sphere appeared and crushed a dozen at once, and finally Starfire was flying around blasting them with her starbolts. But No matter how many they smashed, more seemed to take their place. "Titan's, re-group!" Robin yelled, and everyone backed towards the Tcar. Rebecca glanced around, trying to think of a good way to just squish all of them at once, but all the chaos of the fight kept her from really concentrating on her powers. Finally, frustrated, she slammed her hands flat one the ground. Suddenly all the bugs fell to the ground and exploded, like they were all being simultaneously squashed by a giant flyswatter. Raven waved and a huge black wall appeared in front of them, shielding them from the wave of bugs guts flying towards them. Beast Boy put a hand on his mouth and gagged a bit. "Dude, that is nasty." "Did it work?" Robin asked. The black wall disappeared. All the moths were gone, but off in the distance more were on their way. "Rebecca, can you keep this up?" She nodded. "Yea, I got this." Her irritation grew with Robin, NOW he would look at her. "Keep it up. Raven, try to keep the guts off of us, everyone else, let's get to killer moth and Kitten before they get away. Titan's GO!"

They raced down the street together. Every block Rebecca would yell for Raven, and slam her palms on the ground with a loud SMACK, and the swarm of bugs would explode just as Raven threw up a barrier to protect them. It was slow going, but eventually they could see the store, and inside was Kitten trying on hundreds of different jewels and screaming that they weren't 'big enough'. "No Daddy, I want something that REALLY sparkles!" She screamed and threw a 5 inch diamond on the ground. Killer Moth sighed and started towards the back when she turned and noticed them. "Oh Robby-poo! I've missed you!" Robin flinched and turned pale. "That's enough Kitten, put those down and step outside." Killer Moth yelled, and hundreds more giant bugs appeared, but Rebecca and Raven already had this down. When Raven pulled back the black wall, Kitten and Killer Moth were drenched in bug guts.

Kitten screamed "AH! DADDY IT'S SO GROSS! EWW!" and glared at Rebecca and Raven. "You're gonna pay for ruining my dress!" Rebecca was trying hard not to laugh. Killer Moth lunged for them, Beast Boy morphed into a bull and intercepted him. Kitten whistled, and larger moth flew by her, and let her jump on and ride it. She dive bombed the group, still screaming over her dress. Robin shot his grappling hook onto a moth leg, and was dragged along behind them. Starfire followed him closely. Rebecca turned to help Beats Boy when someone screamed, "In coming!" Another swarm off in the distance. Cyborg blasted Killer Moth with his cannon while her and Raven took care of this last swarm. Killer Moth was in a rage, but he managed to get away from Beast Boy just long enough to start flying away. Rebecca reached a hand out and closed her fist. Killer Moth's wings suddenly crumbled, but he didn't fall. Rebecca lowered her arm, slowly carrying him to the ground. Off in the distance, she could still hear Kitten screaming over Daddy and her dress. Cyborg tied up Killer Moth as the rest of them searched the skies, and finally saw them flying back towards them about a block away. Robin had climb up his chord and was wrestling control of the moth away from Kitten, Starfire was chasing them down trying to catch up. The moth suddenly lost control. It fell into a free fall, Kitten and Robin were going to crash. Starfire raced, but she wouldn't make it in time. Rebecca reached out and closed her fist again, and the moth froze in midair. Starfire caught up and help Robin restrain Kitten. By the time Rebecca had lowered them to the ground, Kitten was tied up and ready for the cops. "Roby-poo!" Kitten cried. "Do you like my dress? Isn't it gorgeous?" Robin made a face and gagged. "I think it suits you perfectly. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen." Kitten's face fell and she stared screaming again. "Can we just leave'em here?"Beast Boy was yelling over her cries of vengeance and plugging his ears. "As soon as they're picked up."

It took the cops 20 minutes to show up, Kitten's screech never let up, even once she was in the cop car and being driven away. "Good work guys. Let's go home and clean up." "NO WAY AM I LETTING ANYONE COVERED IN BUG GUTS IN MY CAR!" Cyborg yelled. "Dude, it's not like there's a shower here!" "I got this." Rebecca grinned. Cyborg blanched as everyone gathered around Rebecca. "Cy, if you don't wanna give us a ride, we'll meet you at home." "Aw, dude not cool!" They laughed, and suddenly, they were home.

For three weeks, Rebecca lived as a Titan. 3 of the best weeks of her life. She quickly became a crucial part of the team, whether it was helping with chores or kicking some bad guy butt. She couldn't imagine life any differently. But, late at night, she still poured through her mother's diary, looking for some clue for her to help Jason. Everything from when her Mom started high school until the very last entry had been ripped out. Late at night she would fall asleep depressed, wishing for a way to ask her mom for help, every morning she'd wake up with a smile and be ready for any trouble the Titan's may find. Robin still avoided her when possible. Raven never brought up what happened either, but the awkwardness still hovered in the air. Finally, after 3 weeks of it, Rebecca had enough. She was determined to make him talk, even if he tried to kiss her again, anything was better than this awkward silence.

She found him in the gym, destroying a punching bag. The gym wasn't her first choice for this, but since this was where he spent most of his time, it was pretty much her only choice. She didn't greet him, he didn't even acknowledge her. She just walked up next to him, and began holding the bag while he punched away. Eventually, he was worn out. He wiped his brow, and took a seat on a bench against the wall. She stood there awkwardly for a bit, before just sitting down right on the floor by the bag.

"The bench is a bit more comfortable. I'll switch with you if you want." She shook her head. He nodded. "I get it. It's fine."

"You get what?"

"You don't wanna be near me. That's ok."

"You're the one who's been ignoring me."

"I thought that's what you wanted? You shoved me away."

"You surprised me. One second we were just talking and the next you-" She stumbled. 3 weeks later, and she still couldn't even say it.

"I'm sorry."

She nodded. "Me too."

"So...what now?"

Rebecca shrugged.

"Do you like me at all?"

"As a friend, of course. As...more...I honestly never even thought about it."

He nodded. "I didn't think so."

"So...why'd you do it?"

He slouched and thought for a minute. "I kinda thought, it was a now or never sorta thing. If I didn't finally get the courage to do it, then when would I?"

"You definitely could've picked a more romantic moment."

He smirked. "Yea, I guess I should work on my timing. Still, I can't say I regret it. Even if you don't feel the same, I'm glad I gave it a shot." Rebecca didn't have a reply for that, so she changed the subject. "How long?" "That's...hard to say. For a while, I knew I felt something. But I just couldn't put it into words until recently. I think about the time you were dating Beast Boy."

"You weren't honestly jealous were you?"

"Yea. Still am a bit. He at least got a date." An unwanted image of her on a date with Robin flooded into her mind. Her face flushed as she quickly banished it and changed the subject again. "Why? Why me?"

"You and I have a lot in common."

"Really?"

"Yea. I don't think anyone ever told you, but I spent some time with Slade myself."

Rebecca's eyes grew as big as dinner plates. "I was worried you'd notice while we were sparring. That move you used on me, I remember that one well. It's the same one I used on him."

"I...didn't know."

"Not a lot of people do. Not exactly my proudest moments."

"Why'd you join him?"

"He implanted the others with a microscopic virus. If I didn't do what he said, he would've killed them."

Oh, that made much more sense that what Rebecca was expecting. "That's a much better reason than mine."

"It's more similar than you'd think. You wanted control so you wouldn't hurt people anymore."

Rebecca nodded. "Yea. But after the radio tower, I wanted revenge."

"Yea. I don't blame you."

"You should. I would."

"But I don't. I know better than most how much revenge can mean to a person."

She nodded, remembering his story of the circus family. "I guess you're right again, we do have a lot in common."

"But it's more than that." He stared at her now, openly, shamelessly. "You could've won that fight. You could've broken my bones, used your powers, or even just fought honestly and beaten me. But you didn't. You lost, on purpose. Why"

"Because we had a deal. And you were right."

"There. That right there is why I...care about you. You put what was right before your pride, even before your brother. I know how hard that is. You're selfless, your brave, you've been through so much, but you still wake up every morning with a smile. I wish I had that kind of strength."

"I ran from Niero, I ran from Slade, I even hid behind you and the Titan's against Jason. If that's brave, I must be Ghandi."

"Don't mistake bravery for stupidity. You were two when you ran from Niero. Running form Slade is more than most people can do. And you didn't hide from Jason, you faced him head on. Bravery is fighting when you don't want to, intelligence is running when you have to."

She chuckled. "I guess you're right...again."

He smirked. "I wish you could see yourself the way we see you."

"I am my own worst enemy."

He laughed, "Becca, you have no idea." Her face flushed. How could he do this to her so easily? "I have to ask," He looked away from her and shifted his weight. "Is there any chance...at all? For us?"

Rebecca didn't answer. She couldn't She enjoyed talking to him like this, but more? Should she at least give him a chance like she did Beast Boy? He frowned and nodded.

"It's fine. It's really ok. I won't bring it up again."

"No, just let me think about it ok?" He looked at her, and she blushed;AGAIN! "The thought of us...it's never even crossed my mind before, but now that it has, I can't just, I mean I don't...ug." She groaned and shook her head. "Just lemme think about it ok? It's not a no."

"It's not a yes either."

"Not yet." She meant to think that, but the plug that usually blocked her thoughts from her mouth had been pulled when she wasn't looking. He straightened up a bit. "Yet?" "I think I hear Cyborg-" She stood up and half ran to the door, "Maybe there's trouble." "Rebecca, wait." He jumped up after her and grabbed her hand, pulling her back. She turned and half fell into his arms. A second later, she shoved him away, but it was a second too late.

For one second, she felt what it would be like for him to hold her, and that one second opened up doors she hadn't even known existed. And now that she knew they existed, she could never be the same person again. Another second was all it took, to step closer to him, grab his hand, and

"Robin! Trouble!" They jumped apart just as Starfire opened the door. "Robin, we must help her!"

"Star? What's going on?"

"It is Blackfire! She is calling for us to help her! She claims to be chased by the evil Zorgrin!"

"How did she escape?"

"I do not know, but the Zorgrin will consume her if we do not hurry!" Rebecca didn't really know what was going on, but she followed Robin and Starfire to the roof, where the rest of the Titan's were waiting. "Incomming!" Cyborg yelled just as something dive bombed them. Rebecca ducked, but Star took off after it. It flew in circles over the tower, periodically climbing high into the clouds then suddenly dropping hundreds of feet. "We have to help Starfire." "How? The Tjet won't keep up with that!" Raven threw black threads of energy, but kept missing. "We need to slow it down." Beast Boy Morphed into a hawk and chased after it, but he couldn't even keep up with Starfire, let alone catch it. Starfire kept yelling "Blackfire, you must stop! Blackfire please!" But nothing replied to her.

"Blackfire, down here!" Rebecca yelled. Suddenly, the thing started to fly towards them. As it got closer, she could begin to distinguish between a person with skin like Star's and a giant...were those tentacles? Or helicopter blades? She couldn't tell, but as it got closer, she formed a plan. It dive bombed them again, but the instant she saw the orange person over her head, she threw up her hands. The force of the impact threw her back, several feet, over the edge of the balcony. "Rebecca!" Something wrapped around her and yanked on her stomach, HARD. She gasped, trying o regain her breath as she was slowly pulled back up the side of the tower. About halfway, Starfire flew down and pulled her the rest of the way over the edge.

A green tentacle monster was sitting a few feet behind Robin. It was making high pitched screeching noises, probably since most of it's tentacles were tied into knots. "Rebecca, Thank you!" Starfire gave her the mother-of-all bear hugs, knocking out what little breath she had. "Star..." She gasped and was finally let go. Once she got her coughing under control, she finally noticed another person, also tied up near the tentacle monster. This girl was almost a mirror image of Starfire, except she had black and purple clothes to compliment her black hair. "Who, is she?" "Rebecca, this is my sister Blackfire." "Older sister, ruler of Tamaran, all that good stuff." The girl grinned at her. "You are not the ruler of Tamaran!" Starfire scolded her, but the girl, Blackfire just glared. "No thanks to you little sis." Rebecca looked around at the other Titan's for help. Raven stepped a bit closer, and explained in a low voice, "She tried to take over their home planet, but we stopped her. She SHOULD be locked away some wehere." "Yes, sister, why are you here?" Blackfire scoffed. "Oh, that boring old place? Na, I had enough, so I left." "Blackfire! You do not simply 'leave'! You must stay there until you have been properly punished!" "I've been punished enough." She gave a pointed look at Starfire. "Anyhoo, thanks for the help, guess I'll be going now!" Blackfire struggled against the ties, but couldn't break them. "Hey, what's up with this?" "It's a special mineral only found on certain meteors. Stronger than any Tamaranian." Robin explained. "We had it made, just in case you decided to visit us again." "What? Starfire! C'mon, just let me go." Starfire shook her head. "You will not fool me again, sister. I will take you back, and I will make sure you stay there this time."

The Titan's watched Starfire pick up her sister, and fly a bit into the air. "Please, release this creature once I have left. It is not the dreaded Zorgrin." The tentacle monster let out a vicious screech. Starfire made a similar screech and bowed, before she flew higher, higher, and up into the clouds she vanished. Rebecca looked at the Titan's for a bit more information, but no one seemed to have any for her. Once they freed the tentacle monster, they all went back downstairs and back to their normal routine.

Starfire returned later that night. She landed on the roof, where Rebecca was waiting for her. "IS everything ok?" "Yes. I am well, and now Blackfire has returned to where she belongs." Rebecca nodded. "So your sister is a criminal."

"Yes, I am afraid so."

"What did she do?"

"She has stolen many things across the galaxy and attempted to have me take her place when she was caught. She also took over my home world, Tamaran."

Rebecca nodded, not sure what else to say.

"Rebecca, I understand that you wish for your brother to change. I wish for my sister to change everyday, but I know, truly it will never happen."

"You think I should just give up on him?"

"Oh no! I only hope your brother does indeed change. For, if he should remain a criminal, I would not like to see you suffer." Rebecca smiled. "Thank Star. I hope he changes too."


	31. Chapter 31

"Yes, I'll be there... Yea... Okay. Alright thanks." Rebecca sighed and hung up the phone. "So? What's the news?" Beats Boy asked. "Chief Mason says his hearing is in 2 days, and that he's waived his right to an attorney. He's going to formally enter his plea at the court." "I guess, maybe that's good news? If he thinks he doesn't need a lawyer, maybe he plans to plead guilty?" Rebecca shrugged. "I don't know. We won't find out till then." "Hey, cheer up!" Beast Boy bounded towards her with his big dorky grin. "Cyborg says he's made a new toy. Wanna go check it out?" "No thanks, BB. I think I'll just take a walk if you don't mind." He frowned, but nodded. "Want me to come with?" "Thanks, but I'll be fine." She waved, and walked out of the room.

Beast Boy sighed. "This whole Jason thing really has her down." "Leave her alone for a bit. Let her sort out her own emotion." Raven didn't look up from her book, but made sure she was loud and clear. "I'm worried about her, is that so wrong?" "No, but to be overprotective of her would be bad." "I have to agree with Beast Boy." Robin announced. Raven glared at him, but didn't say anything. "Beast Boy, why don't we tail her? Just to make sure she's ok." "I don't think there is anything out there that can hurt her." Raven finally looked up from her book at the two boys. "Raven, you wouldn't understand. We protect girls, it's a guy thing." Beast Boy puffed up his chest, trying to look manly. "Is it also a guy thing to make fools of yourself?" "Yep." He announced proudly. "BB, C'mon. You morph and tail her from the air. I'll keep to the ground." "Roger!" Beast Boy morphed into a sparrow and flew off, with Robin running behind him. Raven shook her head, and went back to her book.

"Robin, you're sure she went this way?" "The tracker in her communicator says she's just ahead." "Alright, I'll fly ahead. If I find her, I'll circle." Beast Boy morphed and flew off. Robin watched, keeping a close eye on the green bird. Suddenly it turned, and started circling in one place. "Good job BB." Robin kept to the rooftops, trying to get closer to where the green bird was flying. Then the bird flew down, towards the ground. Robin lost sight of it for a moment. When he found it again, it was flying towards him. It morphed back next to him. "She's gone, she teleported." Robin pulled open his communicator, pressed a button and the screen showed a grid. One red blip told him where they were, but the purple blip, Rebecca's, was no where on the screen. "Where'd she go?" "I don't know. She must've left the city. Let me expand the range." She grid shrank, once, then twice. A purple blip appeared on the opposite side of the screen from the red one. "The woods? Why did she go there?" "Dude, who knows, maybe somethings wrong!" "You're right, let's go." "Hold on." Raven suddenly appeared out of the shadow. "You need to stop this."

"Why? We're just concerned." "She's having a hard time, we should help her."

"Has Rebecca ever been one to ask for help?"

"No, but that doesn't mean-"

"If she doesn't ask for it, then she doesn't want it. She prefers to handle thing on her own. I would think you two would've learned that by now. If she catches you following her like this, she will not be pleased to see you."

"Then we'll just make sure she doesn't see us, right Rob?" Robin frowned. "No, she's right. We need to leave her alone for a bit." "But-" Robin shook his head. "We'll watch her communicator signal from the tower. If we think something's happened, we'll know where she is." Beast Boy frowned, but nodded. "Alright dude. But I get first dibs on Cyborg's new potato launcher." "Deal."

It took her a while, but she thought she finally found the right area. The same place she teleported with Red X after the city's anniversary party. It felt like years ago. It was amazing when she'd realized it's only been a few weeks. But she couldn't think of a better place. "Okay, here's what's going to happen." She sat down on a convenient rock and looked at her hands. "I'm going to think through this rationally. I'm going to weigh my options, and go with whatever is best. First, is leaving the Titans." Her heart sunk at the thought. "I don't want to. So that's a con." One finger raised on her left hand. "My brother may not hate me. Maybe he'll join the Titan's in my place. Pro, definitely." She lifted a finger on her right. "But, he could also use these powers to hurt them. Con." Another on her left. When all of her fingers were raised on both hands, she sighed. "I need more finger. Maybe I should've brought paper for this, write all this down. Let's move onto something else. Robin."

She closed her fist again. "He and I do have a lot in common. Pro." Right hand. "But it would be really awkward. Especially around BB. Con." Left hand. "He cares for me...a lot. Pro." Right hand. "But do I care for him?" She thought for a moment, remembering how she shoved him away, and how it felt to be held by strong, loving arms. "I guess I need to figure that out first. Ug." She stood up and kicked at the ground. "I still have to figure out how to give away my powers. But what if I can't? What if there's a spell or something I'm supposed to know? I'll never get rid of them." Her heart gave a little squeeze at the thought. "I'd be...immortal. Maybe that's why I'm supposed to pass them down. But if I can't, then..." The thought of living forever, long after all of her friends had died make her sick. "No. I don't want to live forever. I don't want to die either, but watching everyone around me die...I couldn't do that." She growled and kicked the dirt again. "Why does this have to be so hard?! Why can't I just pick something already?!" She growled again and stamped her foot. "Damnit. This sucks." She paced back to the rock and flopped down. "I need some advice, but who can I trust? The Titan's all want me to keep my powers. And talking about Robin," She shuddered at the thought of trying to explain her feelings to someone like BB. "No, way too weird." That familiar, overwhelming desire ripped through her heart, the same one that's been depressing her for the last few days. "I miss you Mom. I wish you were here to help me." But not matter how often she said the words out loud or how much she wanted it, nothing ever happened.

When she returned home, Robin met her downstairs. "How come you didn't teleport?" "Sometimes walking helps me think." "About?" She stopped, and thought. She knew what he was getting at, but she still hadn't made any progress. "I still don't know." "Can I try something and not have you shove me away?" Her heart thudded and squeezed as he stepped closer to her. "Beast Boy said when he kissed you, it was like kissing a wall. That there was no emotion, nothing." She seethed for moment. What a jerk! I don't kiss like a wall! But he put a hand on her arm and she forgot everything. "Can we try? Without me being throw across the room?" Rebecca knew it was now or never. This was their chance, if there was anything between them, they'd find out now. Or they'd go back to being friends again. He gently cupped her cheek and pulled her closer.

When their lips brushed, it was a spark to gasoline. He pulled her against his chest, she threw around around him, trying to get as close as possible. More, her body craved more as their kiss deepened. She curved her body around his, still trying to get closer, still craving more-" "Ahem."

They leaped apart, and looked up. Beast Boy was leaning against the doorway with a blank look on his face. "Beast Boy, it's-" "Don't." He held up a hand and shook his head and smiled. "It's about time." Rebecca relaxed and blushed. "You're not mad?" "Of course not. Why would I be?" "Because we, well" "We agreed to be friends. And friends support each other when they need it." Rebecca laughed, "And here I thought I had you all figured out." "Well, I guess not. Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you guys that dinner is ready." "You knew we were down here?" Robin asked. "Dude, I knew you'd be together. We all knew. Now hurry up, we're hungry." Rebecca stepped to follow Beast Boy, but Robin grabbed her hand and held it. "You hungry?" She blushed. "Not really..." "Hey, Beast Boy! Tell everyone to start without us!" "Got it."


	32. Chapter 32

2 days later, deja vu all over again. Same courtroom, even the same judge, who smiled and waved at Rebecca. "Another one? What is it with your family Mr McKennit?" Rebecca shrugged. "Ma'am, you don't know the half of it." "So, Jason, we are here to discuss your plea. How do you plead?" "Guilty, your honor." Rebecca smiled as all of the weight she'd been carrying around for weeks disappeared. The judge. "Must be genetics. Your family certainly does make things a bit easier for me though. I hereby sentence you to-"

The entire back wall of the courtroom shattered. Fire and debris flew everywhere. "Titan's!" Robin yelled, and they all went to work. Cyborg sprayed the fire with powder, trying to keep it under control, Raven and Starfire moved debris out of the way and off of people, while Beast Boy and Robin ushered everyone out. Rebecca jumped over several pieces of wood and concrete, and raced towards the front. She found Jason out cold on the floor, laying in a pool of blood. "Jason!" She picked him up and gasped. Something had hit him in the back of his head, she could see gray matter peaking out from the torrent of blood. "Jason!" "Rebecca, get him out!" She concentrated, and suddenly was just outside the courthouse. Chaos was everywhere, people screaming and running around as the flames grew, but she didn't notice any of it. She laid Jason down, trying not to jostle him too much. "Jason, Jason, no, oh god no..." She mumbled and tore off most of her pants. She wrapped it around his head, trying to hold it together, then froze, not sure what else to do. The fire department hadn't arrived yet, and she doubted he would last that long.

"Jason, can you hear me?" No response. "Jason?" She turned him on his side, and placed her hands on his back, just like she'd read in her mother's diary. "I don't know how to do this! I don't know! Just work damnit!" Her hands were warm from the blood, but nothing else happened. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, to WILL her powers into her brother, but still nothing. "No, please save him, save him. If I have to die I'll do it just please save him." Her hands were getting warmer, more blood was pouring out of his skull, to much for him to survive. "Please, I don't care the cost, just save him." She wept, and with a sudden yelp, she yanked her hands back. The blood felt like it was boiling on her skin, but when she looked, her hands were still relatively clean. She put them on his back again and watched. "Save him. Go save him. Protect him, help him, I don't care what happens to me, just save him." Her hands were on fire, but she didn't move them. Suddenly, she lost her breath, her voice, and her train of thought, like something had been stuck to her and suddenly been pulled away, taking pieces of her with it. "Rebecca!" Someone yelled, she could hear them running towards her. "Is he alright?" Robin asked. Jason groaned, and rolled over, making Robin gasp. "We gotta get him to a hospital. Rebecca grabbed his arm and shook her head. "He's alright." She whispered. "Why are you whispering?" She cleared her throat and shook her head. She'd tell him when she could again. For now, she watched Jason slowly sit up and look around.

He reached up and touched his head, and jumped. "I'm...ow." He blinked and looked at Rebecca. "You saved me." She nodded. "I...you, your, the powers?" "Are yours now." She whispered. She saw Robin shift out of the corner of her eyes, but ignored it. There was nothing she could do about it now. Jason started to push himself up. Rebecca tried to protest, but he shrugged her off. He swayed a bit, but stood upright. "You saved me?" He repeated, and took another step back. "Thank you." He turned and bolted down the street, but Robin was ready. Robin shot his grappling hook around his legs and tripped him, but something flew from the darkness and cut his chord. "Hey!" "Jason, concentrate." A voice from the shadow made Rebecca shiver. In a bright flash, Jason had vanished. Robin grabbed the thing that had cut his rope and held it up to Rebecca. "He's escaped." It was a red and black, razor sharp S. Rebecca put her face in her hands, and wept. She felt so ashamed. Not only did Slade have her brother, but her brother had her powers. She was helpless.

Rebecca felt like a little kid, everyone watching and trying to take care of her. It was irritating, but she didn't say anything about it. Once they'd given Chief Mason the damage report, Robin insisted on talking her home while the other Titans finished cleanup. "We'll have the best chance finding Slade if we go back and wait for the alarm." Rebecca agreed, reluctantly. She wanted to go check al his old hiding places, but Robin felt that would be the least helpful. "He knows that's the first place you'll check. He'll want to stay far away form them." But still, anything was better than just sitting and waiting. But that was exactly what she did. She sat and waited until the other Titans came home. "So, is it true?" Beast Boy asked. She frowned, and nodded. "I'm sorry. But I promise, we'll find Jason." "Can you really fight him while he has my powers?" "He doesn't have your experience with them." Beast Boy patted her hand. "We'll be fine." Rebecca didn't really feel better. He could teleport after only a few seconds, that took her years to master. "Rebecca, you'll stay here and monitor. If the alarm goes off, let us know. The rest of us will start looking. Beast Boy and Starfire, take the skies, look along the edge of town to make sure they don't try to leave. Raven, go try to squeeze some of our contacts. Someone out there has to know something, Slade couldn't have escaped alone. Cyborg and I will search the streets, we'll start from the center and work our way out. Got it?" Everyone nodded. "Titans, go!" Rebecca watched everyone leave, and sat one the couch alone.

It didn't take her long to get sick of the whole business. She knew Slade and her powers better than all of the Titans put together. She got on the computer and brought up a map of the city. "The furthest I've ever been able to teleport is 40 miles." She centered the screen on the courthouse, and made a circle with a 40 miles radius. "Slade wouldn't leave the city. He'll come after me. He'll want to be somewhere he can keep and eye on the tower. He'll know the Titan's won't let me leave now." She zoomed out a bit more to include the tower on the screen. She made a second circle with a 40 mile radius, this time around the tower. There was a nice narrow overlap between the circles. "Perfect."

She pulled out her communicator. "Robin, come in." "What's wrong? I'm on my way!" She heard the tires of his bike squeal. "No, shut up and listen, Slade won't leave the city, he'll want to come after me. He'll think it's the ultimate revenge to have my brother kill me with my own powers. And he'll know you left me here to protect me." The engine revved, and Robin swore. "I'm sorry, I should've known," No, shut up and don't interrupt. My teleporting had a limit, 40 miles. Slade isn't here, but he'd be somewhere close enough to here to see it, but also close enough to the courthouse for Jason to teleport. I'm sending you the coordinates of the best area." The communicator beeped. "Got it. I'll call Beast Boy and Starfire and send them back to you." "No, you need them, I'll leave and go somewhere else." "No, the tower is the safest place for you." "Not if Jason teleports in here." "I don't want you out on the streets alone." "You need everyone you can get for this. I'm leaving, you can't stop me. If Starfire and Beast Boy show up, they won't find me. You might as well use them." "No, Rebecca, listen-" She closed the communicator, and ran out the door.

She could hear the footsteps, someone pacing nearby, but she stayed perfectly still. Her head throbbed painfully, her heart was hammering away in her chest, but she kept her breathing nice and even, and listened closely.

"They'll find us soon."

"Isn't that bad?"

"No, not for what I have in mind."

"How'd you know they would?"

"Simple. She knows me. Too well for my taste. It's time we fixed that."

Her heart squeezed a bit as her memory came back. She'd left the tower, and Jason had been waiting for her outside. "Are you ready? The Titan's will not hold back." "Yea. I think I got this." "You'd better." Rebecca suppressed a shiver. How many times had he said something similar to her? In that same threatening voice? There was a loud crash off in the distance. Footsteps followed the crash, and disappeared. She could still hear the commotion, but it was far away now. She sat up, and looked around for something useful. She was in an empty storage container, her hands were bound. She wiggled her way to her feet, and walked outside.

She was at the pier on the edge of the bay. She could see the Tower off in the distance, and not too far away, she could hear the Titan's fighting. She didn't hesitate to run towards them. Slade was standing off to the side, letting Jason do all the dirty work. The Titans had him surrounded, confusing him. He couldn't focus on more than one or two of them at a time. It wouldn't be long before he was overwhelmed. Slade must've known that too, because he finally pulled out a weapon and aimed. Rebecca tackled him, knocking the weapon out of his hands. Jason looked up at her and glared. He waved his hand and she flew against another container. A green goat knocked Jason down, but it flew back a second later. A bright flash blinded everyone. She felt a hand lift by her throat and pin her to the container. "Rebecca!"The Titan's flew several feet into the air. Rebecca's hands were still bound behind her, pressing painfully into her back. She gasped and kicked, but Jason squeezed tighter. "Kill her, son." Slade murmured and started firing at the Titan's, keeping them busy. Rebecca was feeling dizzy, she coughed and wheezed, her lungs burning for air. "Ja, Ja." She gasped. He flinched and squeezed tighter. Something clicked in a far corner of Rebecca's mind. A memory, sort of. She used to say something a lot when she was little. "Ja, Ja...help me." He flinched again. She could feel her face tingling, her lungs scorching. She closed her eyes, waiting for the peace her mother promised her.

Air started flowing into her lungs again, the relief was exquisite, just before she fell to the ground. "Jason!" Slade yelled. She coughed and looked up at him. His eyes were puffy and red. "I can't." "I said kill her!" "I can't! I promised!" "You fool!" Slade turned and aimed his weapon at Jason, who reached out his hand. The gun flew to Jason's hand just before Slade could pull the trigger. "She saved my life, and I promised I'd protect her. Even if...after everything, even after all this, I keep my promises." Slade growled and lunged for him. Jason ran up to meet him, and in a flash, they vanished. Rebecca had finally regained her breathe when the Titans rushed over to her. "We, gotta find them." She pleaded. "Don't worry, I put a tracker on Jason, in case this happened." Robin cut her hands free and helped her up. "Go back to the tower." "No." "I'm not risking you getting hurt again." "And I'm not risking my brother. I'm still a Titan, I'm going and you can't stop me." Robin sighed and pulled out his communicator. "They're across town, we'd better hurry. Titans, go!"


	33. Chapter 33

Rebecca rode with Robin on his bike. The 15 minute ride gave her some time to think, especialy since Robin wouldn't speak to her. She still couldn't pull up exact memories. These were more...feelings. She felt like she had a best friend who was always watching out for her, and unbearable sadness when that friend left. Could that have been Jason? She heard the commotion, gun shots, long before they were close. Robin revved the engine. They turned a corner and finally saw them. Jason was limping, trying to keep his distance, but Slade kept pressing closer. Hand-to-hand was obviously not Jason's specialty. They looked up as the Titans rounded the corner. The vehicles skidded to a halt and everyone leaped out and surrounded Slade. Rebecca ran to her brother and helped him limp away. "How sweet," Slade's snide voice made Rebecca seethe. "Sibling rivalry overcome." "Give it up. You're finished." "Ha, no, I've only begun." The Titan's attacked. Rebecca leaned Jason against the wall, helped him sit down, and turned to jon the fight. "Becky, wait. Take'em back." Jason huffed. "What?" "They're yours. These powers, I can't use them half as well as you. You can stop him." "But-" Jason grabbed her shoulders and squeezed them tightly. "Take them back. I can't protect you like this." Her shoulders burned. Jason winced, but Rebecca just stood there dumbfounded. She felt her body swell with a familiar warmth and presence, her veins tingled, she knew, he'd already given them back. "Go help them." She nodded, and turned back to the fight. Slade was cornered, but holding his own. Rebecca lept at him, throwing all her energy into her kick. Slade blocked, but cried out in pain. She gave him a left hook right in the gut, tripped him, and finally punched him in the face, throwing all of her powers behind her. His mask shattered, his eyes rolled back into his head, Slade was down for the count. The Titan's clapped Rebecca on the back, thanking, her, congratulating her, but she heard none of it. She turned back to her brother and smiled. "Hey, big bro, you should come see this." Jason's head had slumped down to his chest, he didn't respond. "Jason?" She finally noticed the pool of blood he was sitting in. "No, no, Jason-" She ran toward him and shook him violently. "Jason, take'em back." His head lolled from side to side. "They're yours." "No, you're my older brother, they should be yours." "No. I was wrong." He looked up. His face was too pale, his eyes were cloudy, but the pool of blood was still growing larger. "I've already lost too much blood. Even if you teleport me to the hospital, I'm done." "Take my powers." "No." "Please." "No, this is what I deserve. I almost broke my promise." "What promise?" He shook his head. "You STILL don't remember? When Mom gave you these powers, she talked ot me about it. She said she was giving you a gift, and that gift would keep you alive, but other people would try to take it from you and made me promise to protect you." His head slumped, "He told me...Becky, Derek. Derek was right...tell...Derek." Rebecca grabbed his shoulders and shook him again. "Jason. Jason, stay with me." She lifted his chin, his eyes were still open, but their colors were flat. There wasn't any life left in them. "Jay Jay..."


	34. Chapter 34

6 weeks later

"I called the orphanage. They wouldn't give me Derek's records, but they gave me yours." She frowned, and kicked the dirt. "I'm sorry, for all the hell you've been through. It really was all my fault." Someone behind her grunted, but she didn't look up. "I'm going to go there myself and see what I can find out. Since you two were separated, it's going to be hard. There's a good chance he's changed his name, moved somewhere really far away. I don't know what I'll do when I find him, but I promise I will. I'll tell him for you." She kneeled on the soft dirt, kissed tow of her fingers, and placed them gently on the smooth marble surface in front of her. "Tell Mom I love her for me." Her fingers trailed along the carving for a moment before she stood up and started walking away. Halfway to the bike, Robin reached out and grabbed her hand. "We could help you."

"I told you, I need to do this. The Titan's don't need to be getting involved. I may have to do some...shady things."

"Or I could just ask Bruce. Everyone has a price."

She laughed, "My way is much cheaper."

"My way doesn't require you to leave." She frowned, and nodded. Neither of them said anything else until they got home.

The remains of her party were being cleaned up. There was a depressing silence hovering in the air as everyone worked. When Robin and Rebecca came in, no one even looked up. Rebecca went to her room and looked around. Her bag was already packed, everything she wasn't taking had already been donated or given to another Titan, all that was left was for her to say goodbye, and start a new journey. She heard the door open and close behind her. It was odd how attuned she'd become to him since they started dating. She could tell it was Robin just by the cadence of his steps. "You don't have to go." She sighed, they'd had this argument several times already. "I have to find Derek."

"Let us help."

"You're needed here."

"So are you."

"You've done fine without me before."

"That's not what I mean."

"Robin, he's my brother. It was Jason's last request, you heard him."

Robin growled and kicked the bed. "Why is it you always insist on leaving?" He plopped down on her bed, put his chin in his hands and glared at her. "It seems like you couldn't be happier to get out of here."

"That's not true."

"Are you sure?"

"If you really think that lowly of me, maybe I should just leave tonight!" He winced, and she immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know."

He opened his arms, she willingly stepped into them and wrapped hers around his head. "I finally have you, and you're leaving."

"Not forever."

"I'd follow you if it was forever."

"No, you would'nt. We have too much in common, remember? We both choose what is right over what we want. And right now, the right thing requires you to stay here, and protect the city."

"What about you? Is this really the right thing?"

"Yes. I have to find Derek. Not just for Jason, but for Mom too. He deserves to know the truth."

Robin shook his head, but didn't say anything. She bent down and kissed the top of his hair. "I'll find him." "And you'll come back?" She nodded, but knew in her heart it wasn't true. Somehow, she knew she would never return to her former life as a hero. And a life as a normal person...meant life without Robin. Still, she swallowed the lump in her throat and kissed him again. "I'll see you again someday."

Early the next morning, the Titan's had all gathered outside at the edge of the bay. Rebecca faced them all in a row, and one by one said goodbye.

"If you ever wanna come back and play me again, you'll know where I'll be." She shook Cyborgs hand and nodded. "If I ever wanna kick someone's butt, I'll come running back." She grinned.

"Traditionally, I should be playing the Gorfinski with a farewell tune,but..." Starfire sobbed and gave Rebecca her strongest bear-hug yet. Her joints popped, but Rebecca held in her cries of pain. "I'll...miss you too Starfire."

Raven put a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it gently. Neither of them spoke, but neither of them had to.

Beast Boy game her the strongest hug he could manage. "I'm gonna miss you. Promise you'll try to keep in touch?" "Promise." She hugged him back, choking back her tears.

"You could still stay." Robin mumbled. Rebecca threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely. Their kiss was salty, were these his tears? Or hers? It didn't matter, it was over far too quickly. "Come home soon." She nodded. "I...just come home ok?" She nodded again. "Aren't you gonna say anything?!" "I'm sorry. I..I promise, this isn't goodbye. I'll see all of you again someday." She waved, and in a bright flash vanished.


	35. Epilogue

6 years later

Rebecca shivered. "Just go up there and get it over with." She mumbled to no one. She hugged herself tighter, but didn't move. The falling snow had already numbed her feet, and was slowly working it's way up the rest of her body. "Just knock on the door. Walk up there and knock on the door." She shivered again and looked up. The house was smaller, but in a quaint, modest way. The christmas decorations and lights from the window made it look homely, warm. Toasty warm...Probably with a fireplace and some hot chocolate. "Damnit if you're going to chicken out AGAIN then do it! Don't just stand here and freeze to death." The curtains fluttered in front of the window. She was certain that someone had noticed her, standing out here staring at their home, like a creepy serial killer. She sighed, watching her breath in the icy air, promising to try again tomorrow. For real this time. But the door creaked open, and someone stepped outside. He shut the door and hurried straight towards her. She didn't move, what should she say? Is he angry? Freaked out? He was avoiding her gaze as he hurried towards...the mail box. He looked very closely at his mail while she just stared at him. He checked that he had all of it, closed the box, and hurried back to his front door. "Derek." He turned, and involuntary reflex. "Yes?" "Derek...McKennit." His eyes widened. "Who are you?" "Your brother wanted me to find you." "Who are you?" He repeated more sternly. "I'm...Rebecca." He stared for a moment and sighed. "I always wondered when this would happen." He shook his head. "It's cold. Come on in." They hurried inside.

The relief was almost instantaneous. Her fingers tingled with relief as he started removing his layers. "Just, have a seat." He pointed to the open room off to the right. The livingroom, with a large comfortable couch and a big, fluffy chair. "I'll be-" "Derek?" The voice couldn't have been more feminine. It was soft, melodic, and high with concern. Rebecca looked down the hall and saw the largest pair of brown eyes she'd ever seen. "Vanessa, everything's alright. Come here, I'd like you to meet someone." She was a small, fair skinned girl, with fair hair, but her most prominent feature was that enormous baby belly. Rebecca smiled warmly at her, but the second she closed her door she flew into Derek's arms. "Hey, hey, calm down." He kissed her forehead lovingly. "Relax, you'll hurt yourself, everything's fine." He looked up at Rebecca. "This is my wife Vanessa." "Hello." Rebecca smiled and gave her a small wave. "I'm Rebecca." Her eyes got impossibly wider, and she looked up at her husband, who nodded. "I remember some of what Jason used to tell me. You wouldn't happen to be...my sister, Rebecca?" She nodded, and sighed with relief. She was glad he knew, explaining you have a long-lost sister would've been very weird. "So, I guess that means Jason is dead." Her smiled faded, and she nodded glumly. Derek sighed. "Honey, go back to bed. We'll just be in the livingroom, chatting." Vanessa squeezed him tighter and shook her head. They looked at each other, and Rebecca looked away. She felt like an intruder, listening in on their silent argument. After a minute he nodded. "Let's sit down." He led his wife to the living room, and helped her sit on the couch slowly. Rebecca took the big fluffy chair as he sat next to his wife. "So, uh, you said Jason wanted us to meet?" "It was...his last request." "I see. So, he found you. And knowing him, he tried to kill you?" She couldn't help but smile at his whole non-nonchalant attitude. "Obviously he didn't succeed." "No. It's a long story." "Well, I'm pretty sure we both have time."

"So, that's what happened." "In a nutshell, I guess." "At least...he died an honest man." Rebecca nodded. "Thank you. I know it's been a pain to find me, but I'm glad you did." Rebecca nodded and glanced at Vanessa, who'd nodded off and was laying on his shoulder. "How did you meet?" "I'm a cop. I was off duty, at a club with some friends. And on my way out I hear someone screaming down the street. So my buddies and I take off and we find a hooker getting the crap beaten out of her by her pimp." He looked down and beamed. "We arrested him, and she needed a place, so I let her crash with me. And we've been together ever since." Rebecca smiled. "I guess saving people is a genetic thing." He chuckled. "I guess so." Vanessa stirred, but didn't wake up. "I should, probably leave now." "Are you staying in town?" He asked. She shrugged. "Well, I came here to find you, and I have. SO I guess I should be moving on." "Oh." He frowned and glanced down at Vanessa. Rebecca shifted, "Well, it's not like I have someone waiting for me." She shrugged. "Well, we have someone here-" He glanced at his wife's belly, "Who's gonna be showing up any day now. It might be nice for her to meet her aunt." Rebecca smiled. "A girl?" He nodded. "Have you thought of a name yet." He laughed, and ran his fingers through his hair. "She wants to name her after one of our Moms. Her Mom's name is Ennis, which I think is terrible. And my Mom's name is Harriet, which she doesn't like. So, I was wondering if you could tell me, HER name?" "It's Elear." "Elear? Not bad. I'll see if she likes it. You should, come by again tomorrow and find out." Rebecca nodded. "I will." "You can knock this time. You don't have to stand out there and freeze." She laughed. "Alright, I will."


End file.
